A mountain rescue hero shares his surprising encounter with two lynx in the Scottish Highlands
Kingussie: So, get this! A mountain rescue guy named Willi Anderson stumbled upon two lynx that were let loose in the Scottish Highlands. Can you believe it? He got within 60 yards of them!
Willi, who’s the deputy leader of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, figured out they were definitely released illegally. He found them just a stone’s throw from a pile of straw bedding that had dead chicks and porcupine quills. How wild is that?
He mentioned they seemed pretty tame, probably because they were just 100 yards from the road. He didn’t think they’d last long out there. After hearing about the lynx from a neighbor, he called the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
They set up traps at the nearby Highland Wildlife Park, and guess what? They caught both lynx! Willi was thrilled. He said catching one would’ve been cool, but two? That was just fantastic!
These big cats were spotted in snowy woods, and the park took care of them after they were caught. They said the lynx wouldn’t have survived in the wild. They’re planning to move them to Edinburgh Zoo for a health check soon.
Police are looking into who let the lynx go and warned folks not to approach them. The Cairngorms National Park Authority said the lynx were shy and not a threat to people, but still, it’s best to keep your distance.
Interestingly, lynx used to roam Britain but went extinct ages ago. Some groups are trying to bring them back, but this illegal release? Not cool at all. It’s frustrating for those who want to see them back in the wild, but this isn’t the way to do it.
Conservationists are worried this could mess up their plans for a proper reintroduction. They’ve seen it happen before with other animals, and it’s just not the right approach. Let’s hope they figure this out soon!
