There is fury tonight, even from conservationists, about the confirmed release of controversial lynx onto land near Insh Marshes by Kingussie.
A Police Scotland spokesperson told the Strathy this evening: “Around 4.20pm on Wednesday, 8 January 2025, police were advised that two lynx had been spotted in the Drumguish area near to Kingussie.
“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.
“Please quote incident number 2179 of Wednesday, 8 January 2025 when calling.”
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The animals are said not to be escapees from the nearby Highland Wildlife Park.
A campaign has been building for some years along the ‘softly, softly’ line of a rational, phased reintroduction of the species to where it once thrived.
Enquiries are going on now to establish just where they did originate.
The Strathy asked campaigners who for years have been advocating the reinstatement of lynx to the Highlands to comment on the release.
Peter Cairns, executive director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture made it plain that the news was not good to hear.
He said: “The Lynx to Scotland Project knows nothing of the origin of these two lynx, their history, health status, or who may have released them.
“The project shares the frustration of all those who wish to see lynx restored to the Scottish landscape, but confirms that an illegal release is not the way to achieve that aim.
“The project has never supported or condoned illegal releases.
“Any illegal release of lynx into the Scottish Highlands is unwelcome and grossly irresponsible, but this apparent release comes at the worst possible time, when stakeholders are engaging in good faith with productive discussions about the possibility of a responsibly managed and fully resourced legal reintroduction.”
A spokesperson for the Cairngorms National Park Authority told the Strathy this evening: “The park authority has 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.
“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.”
Comment also came tonight from Wildland Ltd., the local conservation business owned by Danish billionaire and Glenfeshie laird Anders Holch Povlsen.
Spokesman Tim Kirkwood told the Strathy: “This clearly has nothing to do with us and we deplore the fact that these two lynx have been left in the area.
“The land they were on is not ours although, yes, it is close to our land I can assure you we are in no way involved.
“When I put it to Anders tonight that some might wonder if we had somehow suddenly decided to release lynx in Badenoch he said that notion was ‘crazy’! And he was right.
“We haven’t spoken with the police yet but I’m told they are doing their best to get to the bottom of it all, as indeed are the SSPCA and the wildlife park.”
Enquiries are still on-going and the Strathy will have further updates as they come in.