The missing lynx

Pity the poor lynx that has escaped from a small zoo at Borth in mid-wales. Lillith must now find enough mice and rabbits to keep body and feline soul together. This would be fine if she were used to it. However, human beings need fear no danger. In Spain, lynx numbers, which had fallen to an alarming 100, have tripled since 2000 – yet nature-lovers are lucky to even catch a glimpse of the tufty-eared cats. It is curious, though, that a legend of a big cat has been handed down in Wales since medieval times. That cat eats a fisherman and his family before a final showdown with King Arthur. In the Celtic version, Arthur is the valiant victor. In a French version, the big cat kills the king and sets itself up as ruler of England. Lillith’s hope lies in Arthur having been asleep these 1,500 years.