Illegal Release of Lynx in Scottish Highlands Sparks Investigation

Four lynx were released without authorization, two have been recaptured, one has died, and authorities are searching for those responsible.

Four Eurasian lynx were illegally released into the Scottish Highlands, with experts suspecting an act of 'guerrilla rewilding' driven by frustration over slow conservation efforts.
Two lynx were recaptured and transferred to the Highland Wildlife Park, but one of the second pair later died, with a post-mortem planned to determine the cause of death.
Authorities, including Police Scotland and conservationists, are investigating the origins of the lynx, focusing on private facilities where they may have been kept before release.
Environmentalists and rewilding advocates condemned the act as reckless, citing the animals' unpreparedness for survival in the wild and the potential harm to conservation goals.
The illegal release has reignited debates about reintroducing lynx to Scotland, a process that has been successful in other European countries but remains highly regulated and contentious in the UK.