EXPERTS from Scotland have published a report on a Lynx reintroduction fact-finding mission to Switzerland last year.
The Lynx to Scotland project escorted stakeholders from the farming, shooting and forestry sectors, together with representatives from the Cairngorms National Park, on to the Swiss Jura region last year to explore what it might be like to coexist with lynx.
The group's report of this study tour is published today, revealing their key insights from the trip.
The report comes after four lynx were illegally released into the Highlands in January, in two separate incidents.
The animals were captured by staff from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), before being relocated to Edinburgh Zoo with the hopes of finding them a new home.
One of the lynx passed away just days after arriving in Edinburgh.
Following those releases, First Minister John Swinney ruled out the Scottish Government's support for the legal release of lynx or other large carnivores in Scotland.
The Swiss wildlife management model is considered to be a source of "valuable lessons" as Scotland considers how coexistence could best be achieved, following a potential reintroduction here.
Like Scotland, Switzerland is home to a mix of habitats, with an almost identical area of woodland and similarly abundant wild prey. Sheep in the Swiss Jura are often kept in fields without attendant shepherds, just as they are across much of Scotland, making comparisons with Switzerland especially useful.
The report discusses how coexisting with lynx can be both easier and more complicated than is often imagined.
The lynx was revealed to be more adaptable than previously thought, allaying concerns about Scotland’s ecological suitability. But the different nature of sheep farming in Scotland – and the far greater number of sheep – were still concerns for attendees who were otherwise impressed by the relatively limited number of lynx-livestock conflicts in Switzerland.
One attendee reflected "the size of the Scottish sheep flock and the way it’s managed means the challenge of lynx predation would be greater in Scotland".
However, despite similar reservations, another felt said "...a Swiss-style reintroduction and conflict management structure could work in Scotland [with a] modernisation of wildlife conflict management and a change in culture."
Study tour guide, Hugh Webster, who manages rewilding relations for SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, said: ‘The recent illegal release of lynx in the Highlands has sparked debate over the return of this missing native species, and also underlined the risks of unlawful action, raising concerns about animal welfare, legal processes and the importance of consultation.
"A responsibly planned and licensed reintroduction, built on respectful dialogue and trust, is the only way to ensure that any future reintroduction is a success for both nature and people."
Switzerland reintroduced their lynx over 50 years ago, with over 200 animals now roaming landscapes that still support traditional livestock farming.
