PICTURES: Highland Lynx big cats caught by Royal Zoological Society of Scotland after police alert in Kincraig and Kingussie area
Two lynx that sparked a police alert last night after being illegally released in the strath have been safely captured by wildlife conservationists.
Staff from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) successfully caught the big cats using humane traps overnight.
They are now being cared for in quarantine facilities at Highland Wildlife Park before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo.
The charity has condemned the illegal release as “highly irresponsible” and said it is likely the lynx would have died in the wild.
It is not known how long the creatures were on the loose in the wild.
David Barclay, manager of the RZSS charity’s saving wildcats team, said: “We set live trail cameras near baited traps and it was a long night for our specialist keepers who were taking turns to monitor any activity.
“It was amazing to see the lynx being captured safely and humanely, which makes the lack of sleep more than worth it.
“Biosecurity laws mean the cats need to spend 30 days in suitable quarantine facilities, so we will transfer them from Highland Wildlife Park to Edinburgh Zoo, where we will further assess their health and welfare.
“Long-term, they may return to Highland Wildlife Park, which is near where they were trapped, though it is too early to say for certain.”
RZSS chief executive David Field said: “We condemn the illegal release of these lynx in the strongest possible terms.
“It was a highly irresponsible act and it is very unlikely they would have survived in the wild due to a lack of adequate preparation.
“Their abandonment was reckless to the animals, to the public and the community, and to nature.
“For now, we have named them ‘The KillieHuntly Two’ and thankfully they appear to be in good health.
“We are extremely grateful to all the residents, estates, farmers and conservation partners locally that provided information to us and the police.
“The team were ably assisted by Wildland staff on the ground and close working between all parties allowed for a swift and positive resolution in this case.”
Ross Macleod, Head of Policy Scotland, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, is pleased the lynx have been captured.
He said: “Irrespective of differing views across the stakeholder spectrum involved in the debate, and whether or not an application for reintroduction proceeds in future years, the willingness to consider all the challenges by the participants has been testament to an open dialogue.
“That is what makes the illegal release of these wild animals so incredibly frustrating, quite apart from the welfare risks to the lynx themselves.
“In this respect we are relieved that the animals have been recaptured by the RZSS. Like other groups, we condemn this illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms.”
The Highland Wildlife Park is already home to two grown Northern Lynx, named Switch and Neon.
The Northern Lynx is a subspecies of the Eurasian Lynx
The charity is appealing for anyone with information on how they came to be in the area to contact Police Scotland.
