The Eurasian lynx is an original native of the British
Isles; it’s a medium sized cat that has been forced out of much of Western
Europe by habitat destruction and human persecution. The last of the British lynx
disappeared around the year 1500 years ago.
Focused on hunting deer species and smaller prey such as
rabbit and hare, the lynx is a legendarily elusive creature and rarely leaves
the forest. This solitary and secretive nature means that they present no
threat to humans and it is exceptionally rare for them to predate on
agricultural animals. Their presence will return a vital natural function to
our ecology helping control numbers of deer and a variety of agricultural pest
species whilst protecting forests from deer damage caused by overpopulation.
Reintroductions into other European countries have been a
remarkable success, with the best managed programs constructing whole new
eco-friendly industries such as wildlife tourism and breathing new economic
life into remote rural communities.
With no natural threats and bringing a great range of
benefits to humans, the time is perfect to bring back the lynx to the British
Isles.
Dr Paul O’Donoghue, a wildcat expert who is leading the
project, said that ‘the lynx would bring more benefits than harm to the areas
where they are reintroduced. We have been looking at the prospect of Lynx
reintroduction for a while and now is the right time.’
See the new charity, the Lynx
UK Trust for more details.
