Overview

• The Lynx to Scotland partnership concluded a nine-month stakeholder dialogue, publishing a report on May 22, 2025, assessing the feasibility of reintroducing Eurasian lynx after 1,300 years of extinction in Scotland.
• The report highlights lynx as likely to prey on sheep and lambs, recommending compensation schemes, prevention measures, and management options such as relocation or lethal control to address livestock losses.
• Findings indicate Scotland has sufficient habitat to support a viable lynx population, with potential ecological benefits like deer population control and aiding species of conservation concern.
• The report states lynx pose no realistic threat to humans and could boost tourism through their presence in the landscape, as seen in similar European rewilding programs.
• Any formal reintroduction requires approval from the Scottish Government, ecological assessments, and public consultations, while three lynx from an earlier illegal release remain housed at the Highlands Wildlife Park.