Release lynx into wild, says Natural England chief

Telegraph

a day ago

The boss of Natural England has said he would be 'delighted' if lynx were released into the wild.
Tony Juniper, who heads up the body responsible for conservation, said he would be 'absolutely delighted' if the animals could be rewilded in England before the end of his two year term.
He has previously said that the wildcats could help control deer populations but warned it was important to consider the science and current ecosystems.
Farmers and landowners fear the wildcats will attack livestock, game and walkers, but some campaigners claim they can help keep deer and rabbit numbers under control.
His intervention comes as The Lynx UK Trust has drawn up an initial application asking for the animals to be returned to Kielder Forest in Northumberland.
Mr Juniper, who was reappointed as chair of Natural England for the third time in March, told The Guardian rewilding the animals 'should be looked at and I know people are looking at it.
'It is still quite polarised and some of these things will remain divided no matter how much effort you put in, but we need more engagement to understand how communities that would be living with these animals would be able to continue with what they do.
'There are in some places still serious doubts about that.'
Several groups are campaigning to bring back the animals to help keep deer and rabbit numbers under control, but farmers and landowners are worried that the wildcats will attack livestock, game and walkers.
'Significant challenges'
Lynx are currently listed on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, which means they cannot be released unless in a secure enclosure.
The government said it was aware of projects to assess the feasibility of lynx reintroduction in England but warned that the predators present 'significant challenges' and that there was currently not enough evidence to support a release.
The application to rewild the lynx in Kielder is currently not being considered by Natural England, the government said.
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said: 'This government is absolutely committed to restoring and protecting nature and we support species reintroductions where there are clear benefits for nature, people and the environment.
'We will continue to work with Natural England on species reintroductions in England.'
Mr Juniper said Natural England was working with communities who would be affected by the introduction.
Campaigners are also hoping to rewild lynx in the Cairngorms in Scotland and have been consulting with farmers about the plan.
In January, four lynx were illegally released into the Cairngorms, which led to the death of one of the animals during the operation to recapture the creatures.
It is not clear where the lynx came from, although some have suggested that rewilding groups may have attempted to introduce the animals by stealth.
Damage they cause
At the time, the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) said those who released the animals had given no thought to the welfare of the lynx or the wider rural community.
The lynx was once native to the British Isles but the last British lynx was hunted to extinction for its fur around 700AD.
The European lynx also disappeared from the UK around 1,000 years ago and by the 1950s there were only 700 left in Europe.
Calls for the introduction of lynx follow successful breeding programmes in countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland which have seen numbers rise to around 18,000.
However, in Sweden, the government recently introduced a cull of lynx to limit the damage they cause. The Lynx UK Trust is hoping that rescued animals from the cull could be rewilded in England.