Britons may be used to seeing neighbourhood cats strolling around quiet streets or coming across foxes darting from one alley into another in bustling cities.
But soon, those living in the UK could be coming face to face with more exotic felines.
For the first time in British history, a zoo-bred lynx will be released into the wild in the hopes that it can fend for itself, and as part of an initiative to bolster the population of wild cats in Europe.
Newquay Zoo, in Cornwall, is pleased to have its very own kitten selected for the continent’s prestigious Linking Lynx rewilding programme – a project dedicated to enhancing and connecting the population of wild cats across the Western Alps and Dinaric ranges.
The cute but fierce creature, born on 29 May 2024, will undergo a series of health and behavioural tests to ensure she is truly ready for life in a natural habitat.
Following this, the nine-month-old will be relocated to a half way facility in Germany, where she will learn the ways of the wild in a semi-controlled environment.
‘She’s shown remarkable development from day one,’ says Curator of Plants and Animals at Newquay Zoo, John Meek.
‘Her selection as a potential candidate for this programme validates our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of animal care and wildlife conservation’ he added.
For the first time in British history, a zoo-bred lynx will be released into the wild (Pictured: A lynx kitten bred at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall)
‘Every visitor who has supported our work has contributed to this moment’.
For those questioning how a domesticated lynx could be expected to adapt to the ways of the wild, the zoo ensured that their preparation process has been thorough.
The project ‘required a careful balance of monitoring and distance to ensure the animals maintain their wild instincts’, it stated.
Furthermore, a combination of ‘sophisticated conservation work’ and the finest expertise have culminated in a hopefully successful ongoing project.
At the moment Newquay Zoo has broken ground in a one of its kind rewilding move, however one expert warns this is just the beginning, as the demand for lynx offspring continues to rise.
Dina Gebhardt, a European Endangered Species (EEP) coordinator for Eurasian Lynxes explained: ‘Now that the Carpathian lynx EEP is part of several in situ projects in Europe, the demand for offspring – especially females – has risen considerably.
Newquay Zoo, (pictured) in Cornwall, is pleased to have its very own lynx kitten selected for Europe’s prestigious Linking Lynx rewilding programme
The cute but fierce Carpathian lynx kitten, born on 29 May 2024, will undergo a series of health and behavioural tests to ensure she is truly ready for life in a natural habitat (stock image)
‘The goal is not only to keep the ex situ population genetically diverse and healthy, but also to provide individuals to introduce into the wild.
‘For that, we need professional scientific led zoos that follow the Linking Lynx protocols conscientiously’.
In situ refers to an animals’ original habitat in the wild, or as close as possible to it.
The Carpathian lynx is a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx, often found in the Carpathian Basin and countries like Romania, Hungary, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
The news comes as a pair of lynx that were believed to have been deliberately set loose in the Scottish Highlands were captured in January.
The wild cats were spotted around two miles from a wildlife park in the Drumguish area, near to Kingussie.
It was originally believed that they had escaped from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Highland Wildlife Park, which does have lynx.
But both police and the park confirmed that they were not from the attraction and instead are thought to have been set loose illegally.
There have been calls for lynx to be returned to the Scottish countryside in a rewilding trial – a move opposed by farming groups including NFU Scotland.
The case for reintroducing lynx to Scotland was discussed in the Scottish Parliament for the first time in 2023.
The predator could help control booming numbers of roe deer, supporters of the plan have argued.
The Labrador-sized Eurasian lynx was once native to Scotland but was driven to extinction some 500-1000 years ago through hunting and habitat loss.
It has since been reintroduced back in several parts of Europe, including in areas used for farming, hunting, forestry and tourism.
