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Eurasian lynx reintroduction in Great Britain

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Eurasian lynx

The Eurasian lynx is the target of ongoing species reintroduction proposals in Great Britain. Proposed locations include the Scottish Highlands and Kielder Forest in Northumberland, England.

Background

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Lynx are currently extinct in Great Britain, although the date of their extinction is not known with certainty. The youngest physical remains of Lynx, from Kinsey Cave in Craven, have been carbon-dated to between 150 CE and 600 CE.[1] A literary reference to what are likely lynx in Cumbria, dating to between the seventh and the tenth centuries, occurs in the Welsh poem Dinogad's Smock, suggesting they may not have been extirpated from the island of Great Britain until the Middle Ages.[1] A written record indicating the presence of a large cat in southern Scotland in the mid 18th century is noted by scholar Lee Raye, who tentatively argues that it may refer to a late-surviving population of lynx.[2] Since the extinction of the grey wolf from Britain in 1680 (see Wolves in Great Britain), the island contains no terrestrial apex predators.

In the post-Apex predator period, red and roe deer populations have increased dramatically due to having no natural predators;[3] with excessive deer foraging leading to prevention of forest regeneration, the stripping of tree vegetation, and removing of the shrub layer in forests, which provides a habitat for birds such as nightingales and willow warblers. Reintroducing large predators such as the lynx are seen by rewilding experts as a means of restoring balance in the ecosystem and keeping deer numbers under control.

Proposals

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England

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Lynx Trust UK are a registered charity campaigning for the reintroduction of lynx to the Kielder Forest in Northumberland.[4] In 2018, a proposal to release six animals was turned down by then-Environment Secretary Michael Gove,[5] due to findings that the proposal did not "meet the necessary standards set out in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) guidelines and fails to give confidence that the project could be completed in practical terms or that the outputs would meet the stated aims". In 2020 the Trust began preparing a second proposal to be submitted, with three animals proposed.

The Wild East Project has proposed lynx reintroduction to areas of East Anglia.[6]

Scotland

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Lynx reintroduction into the Scottish Highlands has been proposed since 2008,[7][8] and a study by Lynx Trust UK and the University of Lancaster found that the Scottish countryside would be able to support a population of up to 250 animals.[9] In 2020, Lynx Trust UK began a consultation into releasing lynx into the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park north of Glasgow.[10]

Support

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The proposals have met opposition from sheep farmers,[11] citing threats the lynx would pose to their flocks; despite research indicating that because lynx also predate on foxes, the number of lambs killed would reduce.[12]

Tony Juniper, chairman of Natural England, voiced his support for the "inspiring" proposal in 2020, stating that it could help to cut deer numbers.[13] Scottish rewilding charity Trees for Life supports lynx reintroduction, claiming it would "restore ecological processes that have been missing for centuries, and provide a free and efficient deer management service".[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Hetherington, David; Lord, Tom; Jacobi, Roger (2005). "New evidence for the occurrence of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in medieval Britain". Journal of Quaternary Science. 21 (1): 3–8. doi:10.1002/jqs.960. S2CID 131251022.
  2. ^ Raye, Lee (2021). "An 18th century reference to a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Scotland"" (PDF). Mammal Communications. 7. doi:10.59922/XHXV2212.
  3. ^ a b "This big cat was native to Scotland 500 years ago. Could rewilding bring it back?". www.euronews.com. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Why second bid to bring lynx to Kielder Forest could succeed, according to campaigners". Chronicle Live. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Plans to reintroduce lynx to Northumberland rejected". Northumberland Gazette. December 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Should wild predators like the lynx be released in our countryside?". Eastern Daily Press. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  7. ^ Hetherington, D. & Gorman, M. (2007). "Using prey densities to estimate the potential size of reintroduced populations of Eurasian lynx" (PDF). Biological Conservation. 137 (1): 37–44. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2007.01.009.
  8. ^ Hetherington, D. A.; Miller, D. R.; Macleod, C. D. & Gorman, M. L. (2008). "A potential habitat network for the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx in Scotland" (PDF). Mammal Review. 38 (4): 285–303. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2008.00117.x.
  9. ^ "2020 - Press Release - Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Scotland (pdf)" (PDF). Lynx Trust UK. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Park selected as lynx reintroduction site". The Scotsman. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Sheep farmers criticise proposals to release lynx in Scotland". Farmers Weekly. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Missing lynx: how rewilding Britain could restore its natural balance". The Guardian. 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Setting lynx wild in Britain could cut deer numbers, head of Natural England says". Telegraph. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
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