Two lynx spotted 'on the loose' in Scottish Highlands successfully captured

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Two lynx, which had been released illegally into the Scottish Highlands, have been successfully recaptured. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), along with assistance from Police Scotland, managed to "humanely" trap the animals overnight amidst warnings that the creatures could have perished if they had stayed in the wild.

The RZSS has heavily criticised the act of setting them free as "highly irresponsible". On Wednesday evening, it was reported by the Cairngorms National Park Authority that the lynx were loose in the area, and Police Scotland had warned the public against approaching them.

Now safely caught, these lynx, dubbed by the RZSS as the 'Killiehuntly Two', are being looked after at quarantine facilities within Highland Wildlife Park in Cairngorms ahead of a move to Edinburgh Zoo for health checks.

David Field, RZSS chief executive, stated: "We condemn the illegal release of these lynx in the strongest possible terms. It was a highly irresponsible act and it is very unlikely they would have survived in the wild due to a lack of adequate preparation. “Their abandonment was reckless to the animals, public, the community and nature.