Lynx welfare must be considered before reintroduction: our letter to The Times

Lynx

Sir,

Those rushing to reintroduce the Lynx “Copycats insist a lynx comeback will reinvigorate British forests” (Jan 29) must also consider their welfare. Only one of the fifteen European reintroduction sites has an increasing population. Even in the Jura Mountains, spanning the border of France and Switzerland, we now know these small isolated Lynx populations, have significant welfare problems, such as heart defects, caused by inbreeding.

Andrew Gilruth
Director of Communications
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust

Comments

Lynx

at 10:00 on 06/02/2021 by Robert Thomas

What evidence is there that the lynx ever existed in the UK ? There is no ‘ need “ for the lynx to exist in the UK as evidenced by its absence for at least 1,000 years if it ever existed here at all. In any case conditions in the UK have changed enormously in that time so, even if the lynx did once exist here, it would not find the same conditions it once enjoyed. Crocodiles and hippopotamus once inhabited Malta ; should we press for them to be re-introduced there ? RT

Lynx Reintroduction

at 15:49 on 06/02/2018 by E. D. Stephen son

My ancestors have learned to live without lynx animals for some generations. We have almost no strong, ferocious predators in this country and as a grandparent who encourages his family to visit all the countryside I would like it to stay that way because I would be mortified I. or somebody I know or anybody or anybody lost a family member, especially a child to a lynx. We live in a kingdom where every country, every city, every town, every village and every other community has a memorial to children lost in wars over the last 100 plus years. The enormous financial cost of erection and maintenance of those memorials indicates the loss felt by the families. We should not risk more family bereavements by the reintroduction of animals without which we have developed a good countryside for hundreds of years. Sincerely, David Stephenson

Lynx reintroductions

at 9:37 on 01/02/2018 by Bryan Benn

It is said to be 1300 years since Britain last had a lynx population. I think that is long enough back, for us to accept they have gone and should remain gone. It would be far better to concentrate resources on protecting widllife currently under threat, including such as Scottish wild cats and Hen Harriers. Rather than 'force' back an animal that could well be condemned to the welfare issues highlighted in you letter to The Times.

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