Two more big cats spotted in wild in Scottish Highlands hours after pair captured
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Two more lynx have been spotted on the loose in the Scottish Highlands - in the same area where another pair of the wild cats were captured on Thursday, police said. They were seen near Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park, with inquiries leading officers to believe the sighting was connected with the release of the other two lynx caught a day prior. Members of the public have been urged not to approach the animals as police work alongside specially-trained personnel to capture them.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Members of the public are asked not to approach the animals and officers are working with specially trained personnel to capture them." The latest pair were spotted at around 07:10am on Friday, sparking a capture mission by experts from Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), police and Cairngorms National Park rangers.
The other two have been taken care of by the RZSS and are now at Edinburgh Zoo. The RZSS condemned the illegal release of the animals as "highly irresponsible" following their release, and said it is likely the lynx would have died in the wild. David Barclay, manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, said, "We set live trail cameras near baited traps and it was a long night for our specialist keepers who were taking turns to monitor any activity.
"It was amazing to see the lynx being captured safely and humanely, which makes the lack of sleep more than worth it. Biosecurity laws mean the cats need to spend 30 days in suitable quarantine facilities, so we will transfer them from Highland Wildlife Park to Edinburgh Zoo, where we will further assess their health and welfare.".
