Sheep farmers oppose plans for lynx to be reintroduced in forest

AN application to reintroduce lynx to the British countryside on a trial basis has been vociferously opposed to by sheep farmers.

The Lynx UK trust is seeking permission from Natural England to bring the cats back to Britain for the first time in more than 1,000 years.

It proposes the reintroduction of four females and two males in the Kielder Forest region of Northumberland for a fiveyear period.

Contrary to some reports, Natural England is expected to take its time before ruling on the application as it is under no statutory obligation to make a decision within a set timeframe.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) opposes the plan and not just over fears of lynx preying on sheep, said chief executive Phil Stocker, inset. “Food security within an uncertain climate, protected species status and land use balance are subjects that need fully debating and pulling together,” he said. “Any piecemeal sanctioning of small projects which are part of a much wider debate that has not yet been properly conducted would be irresponsible and inexcusable. “It is almost inconceivable that once released the lynx would ever be removed and therefore we don’t accept this is a pilot project, it is a release.” The cats involved in the pilot would wear satellite collars to monitor their movements. Each of the animals would come from healthy wild populations in Europe and would be subject to full veterinary screening.

The Lynx UK Trust said the animals would be studied to inform whether a reintroduction could be carried out across a wider area.

Lynx were probably wiped out in Britain about 1,300 years ago by fur-hunting, and the trust blames, in part, the absence of medium-sized cats for an overpopulation of roe deer.

There have already been reintroductions of lynx in Germany, France and Switzerland, but Mr Stocker maintains Britain is not a good match.

He said: “This country is a very different place to what it was 1,300 years ago and NSA does not believe we have enough largescale, suitable habitat to support the minimum population of 250 lynx that is needed for true genetic sustainability.”