First Minister John Swinney strongly condemns 'illegal release' of lynx

FIRST Minister John Swinney has condemned the illegal release of two lynx in the Highlands.

The question was raised by Tory MSP Edward Mountain in Holyrood during First Minister's Questions on Thursday.

Mountain urged Swinney to share his opinion on the illegal release of the lynx in the Highlands on January 8.

He called on the First Minister to join him in "condemning this illegal release" of wild animals, describing it as a "serious wildlife crime”.

Swinney opened by saying this “should not have happened”.

 "It is an illegal act, and I join [Mountain] in condemning that act. I am enormously grateful to everybody who has contributed towards the safe capture of the lynx.

“They have been captured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, one of the great and wonderful assets of our country.

“I am aware that a number of other parties locally assisted in that process, including officers of Police Scotland and the gamekeepers locally."

Staff at the Highland Wildlife Park inspect one of the captured Lynx before it is transferred to Edinburgh Zoo (Image: Peter Jolly) Lynx were made extinct in Scotland more than 500 years ago due to hunting and habitat loss. The species has already been reintroduced in France, Germany and Switzerland.

Multiple charities, such as Lynx to Scotland or Scotland: The Big Picture, are working to reintroduce the animal here.

“It’s excellent news that experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland were able to humanely trap the lynx so rapidly, and that the lynx are safe,” said Peter Cairns, executive director of Scotland: The Big Picture.

“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 simply counter-productive.”

Scotland: The Big Picture explained that the reintroduction of the lynx would increase nature recovery and that Scotland needs a predator such as the lynx to bring back balance.

A legal release of lynx would help regenerate woodlands, and help expand Scottish forests by controlling the deer numbers, experts say.

The charity explained that Scotland could welcome around 400 lynx in the Highlands.

The two illegally released lynx are currently being cared for in quarantine facilities at the Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms, before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo.