One of the captured lynx illegally released into the Highlands has died.
It was one of a second pair of the animals captured within a week after police reports they had been seen in the Dell of Killiehuntly near Kingussie on Friday.
Conservationists now believe that the four animals came from the same litter from their behaviour and that they could have been released at the same time, despite the first pair being captured the previous day.
Dr Helen Seen, head of conservation at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), whose experts captured both pairs of lynx in humane traps, said: ‘Unfortunately, overnight, we’ve had the news that one of the lynx hasn’t made it. At the moment it’s very recent, and we don’t know what the reason for that is. We’ll be conducting a post-mortem. It’s a real shame and illustrates the kind of risks in these sorts of scenarios.’
The surviving lynx will be moved to Edinburgh Zoo to quarantine for 30 days as happened with the first pair found on Thursday.
David Barclay, ex-situ conservation manager for the RZSS, said: ‘From the evidence that we’ve seen and from the [animals] behaviour and the manner, and evidence that was around the scene collected by the police, it appears that these are certainly captive animals, very habituated to people, and by their behaviour, we believe that they are all from the same litter or at least related. All four are of a similar age and are young Eurasian lynx.’
‘We’re not sure of the motive behind whoever released these animals but they were released into a very harsh environment and climate on the coldest night of the year. These animals were not in any way ready for this.’
The big cats were confirmed to be on the loose in the Cairngorms National Park on Friday morning – just hours after another pair were safely caught in baited traps in the same area.
Two more lynx were captured in the Highlands
One of the two lynx, which were successfully captured in the Cairngorms National Park earlier this week
Experts feared for the animals’ safety after they were released in sub-zero conditions.
Police are probing the release of the animals, spotted at Dell of Killiehuntly, near Kingussie, which they believe are connected to the ones found in the Drumguish area on Wednesday.
They were caught on a wildlife camera left out from the previous night and were seen tentatively inspecting one of the unbaited traps left ‘on the off chance there were more’ as they struggled through the thick blanket of snow in the early hours.
Experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) confirmed the second pair of ‘deliberately abandoned’ lynx had been captured at 6.30pm on Friday.
On Friday, Dr Helen Senn, RZSS Head of Conservation said: ‘I’m sure that everyone in the community will be happy and relieved to know that the second pair of lynx have been safely captured.
‘It’s been a rollercoaster 48 hours, with people working throughout the day and night, in some extremely challenging conditions, but I’ve been so impressed by the efforts of our own staff as well as partners, and members of the local community to ensure that the outcome is a positive one.
‘Although we don’t think that there are any more lynx out there, we will continue to monitor the release site under the direction of Police Scotland.’
RZSS chief executive David Field warned that anyone releasing tame lynx into the wild put the animals’ safety in jeopardy.
Dr Helen Senn, head of conservation for RZSS based at the Highland Wildlife Park
He said: ‘They are not going to attack people or take out a sheep or a deer, they aren’t used to hunting these animals.
‘Part of the police investigation will be around private facilities – they will have come from an enclosure in a private facility.
‘You can’t just put an animal into the wild and expect it to survive.
‘The people who have done this are negligent and have abandoned these animals.’
He added: ‘We don’t know but we would suspect they are connected.’
The first pair, named the Killiehuntly Two, were caught on Thursday after trail cameras were set up near baited traps and the RSZZ remains of the opinion ‘that they definitely wouldn’t survive in such harsh conditions’.
They are now in the care of specialist staff at Edinburgh Zoo, where they will remain in quarantine for the next month.
The latest pair, were caught on a wildlife camera left out ‘on the off chance’ there were more than two.
RSZZ claimed the illegal release of the animals was ‘reckless ‘ as they were ‘quite tame’ and ‘habituated to humans’ so would have been unable to fend for themselves.
But Highland Council, and nearby Moray and Aberdeenshire councils, confirmed no licences for lynx under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act have been issued. All 13 other councils which responded also confirmed there were no licences issued to keep the animals.
Experts estimate the first pair were released ‘no more than 24 hours’ before their capture and say if the second pair are part of the same group they may have been released around the same time.
While they do not believe there are any more lynx that have been released, the RSZZ source said: ‘We can never rule it out’.
Police Scotland Inspector Craig Johnstone said officers were working with specially trained personnel to capture the animals ‘safely and humanely’ and that enquiries were continuing ‘to establish the full circumstances of both sightings’.
The Cairngorms National Park added: ‘A build-up of people could disturb the animals and hamper efforts on the ground’.
Lynx became extinct in the UK around 1,000 years ago and there are now calls for them to be reintroduced into the wild.
But Peter Cairns, Executive Director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, said that while it was one of the charities was working to secure the return of lynx to the Highlands, ‘irresponsible and illegal releases such as this are entirely counter-productive’.
NatureScot, which is responsible for the management and conservations of wild animals in Scotland, described the illegal release as ‘completely unacceptable’.
A spokesman said: ‘Reintroduction projects are often complex and need careful consideration and planning to ensure national and international best practice guidelines are met.
‘Any proposed lynx reintroduction would require a significant amount of consultation, as well as evidence to assess the risks and benefits associated.’
Anyone with any information is urged to contact the police.