Two lynx launched illegally in Scottish Highlands: Police subject ‘don’t method’ warning after massive cats are noticed roaming the world
A pair of lynx are believed to have been deliberately set loose in the Scottish Highlands – prompting an urgent police search.
The wild cats were spotted on Wednesday afternoon around two miles from a wildlife park in the Drumguish area, near to Kingussie.
It was originally believed that they had escaped from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Highland Wildlife Park, which does have lynx.
But both police and the park confirmed on Wednesday night that they were not from the attraction and instead are thought to have been set loose illegally.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority said it was treating the sighting of the wild cats as a ‘suspected illegal release’.
The organisation also ‘strongly condemned’ those responsible and said it was concerned for the welfare of the lynx.
Enquiries are going on now to establish where they did in fact originate from – as police warned the public not to approach the animals.
‘Around 4.20pm on Wednesday, January 8, police were advised that two lynx had been spotted in the Drumguish area near to Kingussie,’ a spokesperson for Police Scotland said.
A pair of lynx are believed to have been deliberately set loose in the Scottish Highlands – prompting an urgent police search (file photo of lynx at the highland wildlife park)
The wild cats were spotted on Wednesday afternoon around two miles from a wildlife park in the Drumguish area, near to Kingussie (file photo of lynx at the highland wildlife park)
‘As a precaution, and also for the animals’ safety, specially trained staff from Highland Wildlife Park are assisting officers to trace them.
‘Members of the public are asked not to approach the Lynx nor indeed attend the area, but instead to contact police via 101 if they are spotted.’
There have been calls for lynx to be returned to the Scottish countryside in a rewilding trial – a move opposed by farming groups including NFU Scotland.
The case for reintroducing lynx to Scotland was discussed in the Scottish Parliament for the first time in 2023.
The predator could help control booming numbers of roe deer, supporters of the plan have argued.
The Labrador-sized Eurasian lynx was once native to Scotland but was driven to extinction some 500-1000 years ago through hunting and habitat loss.
It has since been reintroduced back in several parts of Europe, including in areas used for farming, hunting, forestry and tourism.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority said in a statement: ‘The Park Authority have been notified about a suspected illegal release of two lynx in the Cairngorms National Park.
‘Police Scotland have been informed and are working closely with partners (including the Park Authority) to establish the full picture and take appropriate action.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority said it was treating the sighting of the wild cats as a ‘suspected illegal release’ (file photo of lynx at the highland wildlife park)
‘We condemn the illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms and we are also concerned for the welfare of the lynx that have been released.
‘Whilst they are shy animals and low risk to humans, we would ask anyone who does spot a lynx not to approach nor to attend the area. Instead, call Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 2179 of Wednesday 8 January 2025 when calling.
‘As this is still an ongoing police investigation it would be inappropriate for the Park Authority to comment further at this stage.’
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Highland Wildlife Park added: ‘We are aware of the suspected illegal release of two lynx in the Cairngorms National Park.
‘Although these are not our lynx, we are working closely with Police Scotland and partners to safely retrieve the animals.
‘Whilst lynx present a low risk to humans we would ask anyone who does spot them not to approach nor to attend the area. Instead, call Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 2179 of Wednesday 8 January 2025.’
