The Lynx UK Trust has launched a public consultation on plans to reintroduce the cat to Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Loch Lomond.

The move has been rejected by farmers who fear for their livelihoods. Forestry and Land Scotland states that there are no plans to reintroduce Lynx into the wild in the country.

Director of Lynx UK Trust Dr Paul O’Donoghue believes Queen Elizabeth Forest Park is a paradise in which the large cat would thrive. This is because it has lots of deer, forest cover, few humans and no major roads.

The Trust is consulting on reintroducing them over a 350 sq km project area site which it claims was identified “after discussion with Scottish Natural Heritage”.

Predation in Norway has reduced over the past decade

However, the move has been widely condemned by farming organisations. In 2017 a delegation from NFU Scotland visited Norway to hear about the impact the Lynx is having on sheep farmers there. The delegation heard that Norwegian authorities paid out compensation on 20,000 sheep lost to wolverine, lynx, bear and wolf.

“Predation in Norway has reduced over the past decade – not because of fewer predators, but the fact that hill farmers have simply stopped keeping sheep,” said NFUS vice president Martin Kennedy.