Lynx ‘could scare away visitors to national park’

Releasing lynx into the wild in Northumberland may frighten away visitors, the national park authority has warned.

The Lynx UK Trust has applied to Natural England to release six of the wild cats in Kielder Forest, hoping the move would “breathe new economic life into remote rural communities”.

However, in a letter to Natural England, Northumberland National Park Authority said: “It would be wise to assess whether the reintroduction of the lynx may actually deter people from visiting Kielder or the countryside around it.” The plans have also raised concerns with the National Sheep Association.