WATCH: The moment two lynx are captured by keepers in the Cairngorms
Staff from the Highland Wildlife Park have been praised for their role in successfully catching two illegally released lynx using humane traps overnight.
The two cats are now being cared for in quarantine facilities at the attraction by Kincraig before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland - which operates both facilities - 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 and how they came to be there.
Police continue to appeal for information and are pursuing the line that the lynx were deliberately set free.
David Barclay, manager of the RZSS charity’s saving wildcats team, has described how he and the team captured the cats near Killiehuntly.
He 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."
He added: “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.”
