Comment from Ross Macleod, Head of Policy Scotland, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.
“Irrespective of differing views across the stakeholder spectrum involved in the debate, and whether or not an application for reintroduction proceeds in future years, the willingness to consider all the challenges by the participants has been testament to an open dialogue. That is what makes the illegal release of these wild animals so incredibly frustrating, quite apart from the welfare risks to the lynx themselves.
“In this respect we are relieved that the animals have been recaptured by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS). Like other groups, we condemn this illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms.”