Reporting from Kingussie, three lynx that were illegally released in the Highlands earlier this year have now been relocated to a new home just a few miles from where they were originally found. After being sighted in the Cairngorms National Park in January, the wild cats were captured south of Aviemore.
Following a period in quarantine at Edinburgh Zoo, the three female lynx have been transferred to an enclosure at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie. Unfortunately, a fourth lynx, a male, was also captured in January but sadly passed away shortly after.
Now residing at their new home, the lynx are currently named A, B, and C, reminiscent of the first three animals the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland had in 1913 – a trio of penguins. RZSS chief executive David Field emphasized the importance of caring for these habituated cats to raise awareness of the species and discuss responsible wildlife reintroduction in Scotland.
The lynx are said to be displaying curious personalities, enjoying engaging with each other and playing with toys like balls in their enclosure. The facility at Highland Wildlife Park includes various elements such as long grass, trees for climbing, scratching posts, and sleeping areas for the lynx to seek solitude whenever necessary.
Despite the condemnation of the illegal release of the lynx by conservation groups, hopes for a formal, legal reintegration of the wild cats in Scotland persist. The Lynx to Scotland partnership, comprising organizations like Trees for Life, continue to advocate for the presence of lynx in the wild and aim to release a detailed report addressing the requirements for successful coexistence between lynx and humans
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