Lynx on the loose in Scotland highlight debate over reintroducing species into the wild

LONDON — Scottish environmental activists want to reintroduce the lynx into the forests of the Highlands. But not this way.

At least two lynx, a medium-sized wildcat extinct in Scotland for hundreds of years, were spotted in the Highlands on Wednesday, raising concerns that a private breeder had illegally released the predators into the wild.

Two cats were captured on Thursday, but authorities are continuing their search after two others were seen early Friday near Killiehuntly in the Cairngorms National Park. Wildlife authorities are setting traps in the area so they can humanely capture the lynx and take them to the Edinburgh Zoo, where the captured cats are already in quarantine, said David Field, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

The hunt highlights a campaign by some activists to reintroduce lynx to help control the deer population and symbolize Scotland's commitment to wildlife diversity. While no one knows who released the cats, wildlife experts speculate that it was either someone who took matters into their own hands because they were frustrated by the slow process of securing government approval for the project, or an opponent who wants to create problems that will block the reintroduction effort.

''Scotland has a history of illicit guerrilla releases,'' said Darragh Hare, a research fellow at the University of Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, citing releases of beavers and pine martins. But doing it right, in a way that everyone can have their say, is important.

''If there's going to be any lynx introduction into Scotland or elsewhere, the process of doing it the right way, even if it takes longer, is the most important thing,'' he added.

Lynx disappeared from Scotland between 500 and 1,300 years ago possibly because of hunting and loss of their woodland habitat.

Efforts to reintroduce the cats to the wild have been underway since at least 2021 when a group calling itself Lynx to Scotland commissioned a study of public attitudes toward the proposal. The group is still working to secure government approval for a trial reintroduction in a defined area with a limited number of lynx.

Lynx are ''shy and elusive woodland hunters'' that pose no threat to humans, the group says. They have been successfully reintroduced in other European countries, including Germany, France and Switzerland.

Supporters of the reintroduction on Thursday issued a statement deploring the premature, illegal release of the cats.

''The Lynx to Scotland Project is working to secure the return of lynx to the Scottish Highlands, but irresponsible and illegal releases such as this are entirely counterproductive,'' said Peter Cairns, executive director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, a group of rewilding advocates that is part of the project.

The issues surrounding the potential reintroduction of lynx were on display during a Scottish Parliament debate on the issue that took place in 2023.

While advocates highlighted the benefits of reducing a deer population that is damaging Scotland's forests, opponents focused on the potential threat to sheep and ground-nesting birds.

''Lynx have been away from this country for 500 years, and now is just not the time to bring them back,'' said Edward Mountain, a lawmaker from the opposition Conservative Party who represents the Highlands.