Warn of predators’ devastating impact

Peter Cairns said: “The lynx is staging a comeback across Europe – but in Scotland, returning top predators remains a prickly conversation, often based on misunderstandings.

“This book aims to address that by offering a balanced discussion.” he lynx population died out from overhunting for its fur, and while it was thought they became extinct in the UK 1300 years ago, David believes that after radio-carbon dating bones, he has found evidence of the animal in the Highlands 400 years ago.

While there would be scope for conflict between lynx and human hunters of deer and concerns over farm animals, David says measures such as livestock protection, compensation schemes and even lethal control could strike a balance.

He added: “There are no dangers to human safety but lynx can prey on sheep, particularly lambs, especially if they are grazed in woodland and where deer are very scarce.

“The risk to sheep is much, much less when they are grazed in the open and where deer are plentiful. In parts of Europe, where deer aren’t as common as here in Scotland, and where deerhunting is a bigger part of the culture, there can be conflicts over the lynx’s predation of deer.”

There are four species of lynx – the bobcat, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and Canada lynx.

The Eurasian lynx is largest, weighing between 17kg and 29kg. It has a shoulder height of about 60cm – similar in size to a labrador.

At the moment Scotland is home to a small family of lynx at the Highland Wildlife Park near Aviemore, where triplet cubs were recently born.

Farmers and crofters are concerned that the predators could decimate their livestock.

National Farming Union Scotland delegates recently studied patterns in Norway, where they found that 20,000 sheep were lost to predators in 2016, with the lynx responsible for 21 per cent.

NFU Scotland’s Martin Kennedy said: “Easily the biggest challenge Norwegian sheep farmers face is predation by large carnivores. Although sheep are housed for at least six months of the year, depending on which part of Norway you farm, when they graze up through the trees after lambing then they are extremely vulnerable.

“The Norwegian NFU believe about 1000 hill farmers have given up keeping sheep in the last decade as they cannot carry on at the levels of predation.

“The Norwegians told us that to reintroduce predators into our country would be an absolute catastrophe.

“Their experience has strengthened our resolve to ensure that any proposals to do the same in Scotland receive rigorous scrutiny. If they will have an unacceptable impact on farmers and crofters, the union will act accordingly.”

David added: “I suspect the national discussion about lynx will continue to grow.”

DR DAVID HETHERINGTON

The Lynx and Us by Dr David Hetherington, with pictures by Laurent Geslin, is published by Scotland: The Big Picture.

Find out more at www.scotland bigpicture.com.