Abandoned lynx have a new home just a few miles from where they were found in the Highlands
Three young lynx abandoned in the Cairngorms National Park earlier this year have found a new home at Highland Wildlife Park.
The trio were housed just a few miles from where they had been released with another juvenile which did not survive the ordeal in January.
In total, four felines were rescued by experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and cared for at Edinburgh Zoo during a period of quarantine.
However, one of the cats did not survive the trauma.
RZSS chief executive David Field said: 'We are very pleased to welcome the lynx to Highland Wildlife Park and grateful to our members and everyone who made a donation to help us care for these wonderful cats.
'The lynx were clearly habituated to humans and would most likely have died if they hadn't been rescued as they would not have been able to find food for themselves.
'Caring for these cats at Highland Wildlife Park will help raise awareness of this incredible species and support discussions about how to reintroduce wildlife in Scotland responsibly.
'We are very proud of the response of our team, who worked with Police Scotland and other partners to safely rescue these animals in freezing overnight temperatures.
In total four juveniles were rescued but one later died while the other three are now thriving at their new home
'All three lynx have curious personalities, they love playing together, especially with balls and other toys. We are sure they will be a big hit with everyone who comes to see them.'
The rogue rewilding attempt was widely condemned as it risked the animals' safety.
The 'deliberately abandoned' quartet were captured over two separate days in freezing conditions.
At the time Mr Field said the animals had come from 'private facilities' and added: 'You can't just put an animal into the wild and expect it to survive. The people who have done this are negligent and have abandoned these animals.
'They are not going to attack people or take out a sheep or a deer, they aren't used to hunting these animals.'
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