Tuesday 28 April 2015

NEWSLINK: UK: Plans progress for big cat return to the north east after 1,300 years

Farmers fears their livestock could be under threat from plans to reintroduce a big cat to the wild.
The group fighting to allow Eurasian lynx to roam free for the first time in 1.300 years has the backing of the public.

The Lynx UK Trust revealed yesterday that a survey completed by almost 10,000 people – carried out by the University of Cumbria – showed 91% support for the idea.

The group is also preparing formal applications for trial reintroductions of the species to send to the National Species Reintroduction Forum.

The trust want to bring six of the animals to the Grumack Forest, at Succoth, near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, and three locations in England and Wales.

But farmer, John Morren – who keeps cattle and sheep on his land near the Grumack Forest – said: “I think it would be negative. I think we already have badgers and foxes and they are all predators.”
The 78-year-old added: “I think it would be a bit alarming for the lambs to be picked up and carried and bad for the ewe when she loses a lamb. If a lynx was hungry it would go for the ewe as well.”

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