Illegal Release of Four Lynx Sparks Concerns Over Rogue Rewilding
The unauthorized release of lynx in Scotland raises alarms about potential rogue rewilding efforts
Lynx, Scotland, Cairngorms, Rewilding, Conservation
Inverness: Recently, four lynx were released into the wild in Scotland, and it’s causing quite a stir. Experts are worried this could kick off a trend of rogue rewilding.
Peter Cairns, a conservationist, called the release “irresponsible.” He’s part of a group trying to bring lynx back legally. But now, he fears that frustrated “guerrilla rewilders” might take matters into their own hands.
Cairns thinks it’s possible these lynx were once pets that were abandoned. The police are looking into how this all happened, especially since one of the lynx sadly died after being caught.
The other three are safe for now, getting care at Edinburgh Zoo. They were found in pretty bad shape, showing signs of starvation. Cairns and his team are committed to a legal reintroduction, which involves a lot of planning and public input.
Bringing lynx back could help control the deer population, which has been overgrazing and damaging habitats. But this illegal release complicates things, as it could undermine the trust built during the reintroduction process.
Cairns mentioned that nobody saw this coming. The lynx were likely used to humans and not ready to fend for themselves in the wild. It’s a tough situation.
He pointed out that beavers were reintroduced to Scotland legally, but unauthorized releases led to their population boom. Now, about 90% of Scottish beavers are from those unapproved releases.
People might look at that and think, “Why not try the same with lynx?” Cairns warns that regulatory bodies need to be ready for more incidents like this in the future.