Four lynx were illegally released into the wild near Kingussie, in the Cairngorms. Katharine Hay goes to investigate how they got there.
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00:00Hello, Catherine Hay, Rural Affairs Correspondent at the Scotsman here.
00:05So I'm just standing at the site where the pair of lynx were first spotted on Wednesday afternoon
00:12before what has recently evolved, which was another two lynx were subsequently found
00:19not far from here on Friday morning.
00:23So I'm standing in an area near Canoosie in the Scottish Highlands, which is in the Cairngorms National Park.
00:30It's about 50 miles south of Inverness and four lynx, at least four lynx in total so far
00:37have been released illegally into the wild.
00:40They've all since been recaptured successfully by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
00:46with the support of many conservationists, Police Scotland and the Highland Wildlife Park
00:51where the four cats were taken to once they were successfully recaptured.
00:57Sadly, since the last pair were taken in just a few hours later, one of them died.
01:05There's a post-mortem that's yet to be done and I've had confirmation from the Zoological Society
01:12that that will probably happen at some point next week and we'll get the results either next week
01:17or sort of in the next 10 days, hopefully.
01:19Unfortunately overnight we've had the news that one of the lynx hasn't made it.
01:24So at the moment it's very recent and we don't know what the reason for that is
01:29and of course we'll be conducting a full post-mortem.
01:32And the other lynx is going down to Edinburgh to join the other two animals down there.
01:38So obviously this is a shame in terms of the outcome, a real shame in terms of the outcome for that animal
01:45and it just illustrates the risks of these sorts of scenarios.
01:50One of the experts was saying that these cats were clearly domesticated in some way
01:57because they were pretty tame as far as lynx are.
02:01They also were in pairs and it's likely that they were maybe siblings, maybe came from the same litter.
02:09And so putting them out in conditions like last night, which the Met Office was saying
02:15was certainly coldest January night that we've had in 15 years.
02:20One farm not far from here actually recorded temperatures of minus 19.
02:25So yeah, you can imagine for a cat that's used to sort of human feeding it and maybe warmth,
02:33putting it out in conditions like this were probably not very good for it.
02:36And then from the evidence that we've seen and from the behaviour and the manner and evidence
02:40that was around the scene that was collected by the police,
02:43it appears that these are certainly captive animals, very habituated to people.
02:48Where they've come from, exactly when they came we're not quite sure.
02:52It seems like they were released very recently following the first sighting, prior to the first sighting.
03:00So what kind of facility they were kept in previously by who we're not sure,
03:05the motive we're not sure and we're doing everything we can to help the police.
03:08What we know is that these animals have been released into a very, very harsh environment,
03:13very harsh climate.
03:15From everything we've seen, from all the evidence and behaviour,
03:18it doesn't look like these animals are in any way ready for this.
03:21They've, I don't think, been prepared for life in the wild.
03:24They're very habituated to people.
03:26This is one of the coldest, if not the coldest night that we've had all year.
03:31And it's a real shame for these animals.
03:33So we've done an incredible job with all of our team here in RZSS
03:37and the local community, the landowners, the farmers, Cairngorm Rangers and the police
03:43in getting these animals out of that horrible situation that they've been put through over the last few days.
03:50And thankfully we can have these animals in a safe environment now.
03:54So just in the lay-by where the legs were supposedly dumped and illegally released,
04:03you can see down here that there's some straw.
04:05What is quite interesting is there are some porcupine quills as well,
04:11which suggests that the animals came from somewhere where somebody's also holding some other exotic animals.
04:19There was also apparently some dead chicks just lying down here, which have since been removed.
04:24But there are some feathers as well that show that there were some birds.
04:29But yes, all pointing to the fact that these animals were held in captivity
04:35or held in a private facility before they were then illegally released.
04:41And is there a possibility that there's any more out there?
04:44There have been talks in the town that there might have been six released.
04:48Well, I think we just don't know is the answer.
04:52I think obviously the reason why we were able to pick up the second two
04:56is because we've been monitoring at the first release site
04:59and we're continuing to conduct ongoing monitoring under the direction of Police Scotland.
05:04And I think obviously it's important for us to keep that possibility open.
05:10At the moment we have no indication there's any additional animals out there
05:13and hopefully this is going to be a conclusion for this really quite full-on scenario
05:21that's involved a huge number of people and we're extremely grateful for everyone's help.
05:27And it's people who've just been able to mobilise at very short notice
05:31to bring this really challenging scenario to a conclusion.
05:35So yeah, it's been an interesting story unfolding.
05:38We don't know who put them here.
05:40There's been some wild theories going around.
05:42Some groups have come out, including the Mammal Society, and said that it's rogue rewilders.
05:49There are people who are desperate for lynx to be back in Scotland.
05:53But I know Peter Cairns of Scotland the Big Picture, which is a rewilding charity
05:58and which is very behind reintroducing lynx legally into the country.
06:02They said this has been a huge disappointment to their campaigning
06:06because it's going to really set them back.
06:08And then you've got farmers and crofters from the Cairngorms Farmers and Crofting Association
06:14who are obviously understandably very anxious about what's just happened.
06:18I was just speaking to one farmer who was saying that her sheep were right next to where the lynx were spotted,
06:25actually right here.
06:27So it was obviously deeply concerning for them, their livelihoods at risk,
06:31with having big cats released so close to their livestock.
06:37So while we now know a little bit more about the lynx and what's happened to them,
06:41I'm just going to go and talk to some people to see how they feel about what's happened over the last few days,
06:50how it could impact people who are living in and nearby the area where the lynx were illegally reintroduced.
07:00Hello, my name is John McPherson. I'm the secretary of the Cairngorm Crofters and Farmers Community.
07:06Our association wholly condemns this illegal introduction of lynx to the countryside
07:16and we hope that Police Scotland catch the perpetrators and they face the full force of the law.
07:22That's the first and foremost thoughts of all the community up here.
07:29Were there concerns among farmers and crofters at the time, given there being lynx in use?
07:36Well, the lynx were released in an area very close to a number of our members' sheep farms
07:44and obviously there was concern as regards how they would habitat or how they would maybe predate on sheep and farm animals.
07:56What does the organisation feel about the conversations around the reintroduction of lynx,
08:01ones that will hopefully, if that does happen, be introduced legally?
08:05Well, I was part of a study tour to Switzerland last year.
08:10It was sponsored by Scotland The Big Picture
08:13and it was myself and other farmers, crofters and Cairngorm National Park officials
08:19invited over to see for ourselves and to speak with farmers, foresters and hunters in Switzerland
08:26as to how they've managed the introduction of lynx over there during the last 50 years.
08:32So that was a good trip to get some background and to start the conversation
08:39but it needs a very wide-ranging consultation with all the stakeholders
08:45in order to fully appreciate what a reintroduction might look like if it ever takes place.
08:54So yeah, there's all sorts of different responses and reactions at the moment going round
08:59and police said that there is an ongoing investigation to try and find out who released these big cats into the wild illegally
09:07which was certainly a welfare risk to the cats themselves
09:11but also has disturbed open dialogue about the reintroduction programme of lynx
09:18and also made farmers and crofters concerned for the welfare of their animals and their livelihoods.
09:26We'll be updating the story as and when we get any more details
09:30so just keep an eye on The Scotsman and there'll be more information to come as this story continues to evolve.