Camera trap footage shows Lynx on the loose after illegal release during 'coldest temperatures on record'

Video (click to play above) shows a second pair of lynxes that were caught on camera, after four were illegally released into the wild. The first two of the giant cats were spotted on Wednesday afternoon and recovered overnight. Another pair were then found early on Friday morning - as seen in the video above - and recovered later that evening. Although, sadly one of the animals, seen in the clip above, has died in the night.

Lynx dead

Dr Helen Senn, head of conservation at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which has been leading the recapturing operations, confirmed one of the lynx from the second pair has died. Speaking at a press conference on Saturday morning at Highland Wildlife Park, near Kingussie, where both pairs of cats were taken straight after being recaptured, she said: “Unfortunately overnight we have had the news that one of the lynx hasn’t made it.

“This is very recent and we don’t know exactly what it is that caused it. We will of course be conducting a full post-mortem.”

Lynx released into the wild

The big cats were found in pairs near Kingussie, some 50 miles south of Inverness in the Cairngorms National Park about two days apart from each other. Dr Senn added: “Whatever the case, this unfortunate development just serves to further demonstrate the folly of abandoning these amazing animals in the wild, with no preparation or real concern for their welfare. We can only imagine the stress that all four of the recovered lynx must have experienced after being thrust into an entirely new and extremely harsh environment to fend for themselves.”

Coldest temperatures on record

Police are still searching for answers amid speculation “rogue rewilding” could be to blame for their release. All four cats are believed to have been from the same litter, if not, then certainly connected in some way. Experts said they were young, and clearly habituated animals - used to warmth and humans feeding them.

David Barclay, of RZSS, said the recovered cats were “released into a very harsh environment”, and from the evidence so far, “it doesn’t look like they were in anyway ready for life in the wild. This is one of the coldest, if not the coldest night we’ve had all year, and these animals were clearly habituated,” he said.

The Highlands experienced some of the coldest temperatures on record last night, with the most northern part of the region seeing temperatures drop to minus 18.7C, making it the UK’s coldest January night in 15 years.

Rumours have been circulating in Kingussie that six lynx were released and another pair could be on the loose still.

In response, Dr Senn said: “We just don’t know at the moment. We were able to pick up these second two because we’ve been monitoring the first release site, and we are continuing to conduct ongoing monitoring under the direction of Police Scotland.

“It’s important for us to keep that open. At the moment, there is no indication that any other of these animals are out there and hopefully this is going to be a conclusion for this quite full-on scenario that has involved a huge number of people and we’re hugely grateful for their help.”

The first two lynx, known as the “Killiehuntly Two” after the estate they were found on, have already been taken to Edinburgh Zoo where their future will be determined in the coming weeks.

The third lynx left Highland Wildlife Park on Saturday morning with a specialist team to join the other recovered big cats.

Due to biosecurity laws, the three will remain in quarantine for 30 days before they are potentially moved elsewhere.

David Field, chief executive of RZSS, said the lynx is “wonderfully full of character” as an animal but should still be considered a wild cat.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Sadly there are rogue rewilders out there who bypass all the established international best practice and bypass all professional organisations which are discussing lynx coming back to Scotland.

“They are impatient and then proceed in a way which is this rebellious rogue rewilding. That’s really sad and that’s a real, real risk.”