Two lynx which were illegally released in the Scottish Highlands have been successfully captured – with experts warning the creatures could have died if they had remained in the wild.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) announced it had “humanely” trapped the animals overnight, with the conservation charity branding their release “highly irresponsible”.
On Wednesday evening, the Cairngorms National Park Authority announced the lynx were at large in the area – with Police Scotland advising any members of the public who spotted them not to approach the creatures.
Now they have been captured, the animals – which the RZSS has named the Killiehuntly Two – are being cared for in quarantine facilities at the Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo, where their health and welfare will be assessed.
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, public, the community and nature.
“For now, we have named them the Killiehuntly Two and thankfully they appear to be in good health.”
Mr Field thanked everyone who had provided information on the animals, saying that RZSS experts working with staff on the ground had helped achieve a “swift and positive resolution in this case”.
David Barclay, manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, said that long term the creatures may be homed in the Highland Wildlife Park.
He told how the lynx had been captured, saying: “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.
Following reports of lynx being seen near to Kingussie on Wed, 8 Jan, both animals have been safely captured.
— Police Scotland Highland & Islands (@PSOSHighland) January 9, 2025
They are being transported to Edinburgh to be checked over by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
Enquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances.
“It was amazing to see the lynx being captured safely and humanely, which makes the lack of sleep more than worth it.”
Mr Barclay continued: “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.”
The Highland Wildlife Park is already home to two northern lynx, named Switch and Neon.
Meanwhile RZSS is continuing to urge anyone with information about how the two lynx came to be in the area to contact Police Scotland.
