Lynx likely to predate on sheep and lambs if reintroduced, study finds
The report also found lynx could have a 'significant' impact on gamebirds in places where the species come into contact, though they are unlikely to play a major part in the animals' diet at a national level.
But it found there is 'sufficient quantity and quality of habitat' in Scotland to support a viable lynx population.
The report said the predators, while not a 'silver bullet', could help with deer population control and could help other species.
The report outlines conclusions and recommendations agreed following a nine-month discussion which involved 53 stakeholders including farming and landowner organisations, gamekeepers, conservationists, foresters and tourism operators.
Lynx to Scotland: A new 100-page report provides the most detailed analysis yet of what a #LynxReintroduction project in Scotland would need to do to ensure #lynx and people could coexist. 🐆
It outlines conclusions and recommendations from Scotland's National Lynx Discussion -… pic.twitter.com/v2rPs6qz8a
— Trees for Life (@treesforlifeuk) May 23, 2025
The National Lynx Discussion was organised by the Lynx to Scotland partnership which is assessing the feasibility of reintroducing the Eurasian lynx to the Scottish Highlands for the first time in about 1,300 years.
Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life and a member of the stakeholder group, said: 'We met 12 times for over 50 hours in total. Deep and extensive discussions allowed us to learn lessons from lynx reintroductions in Europe, assess possible impacts if lynx are returned to Scotland, and recommend key actions to avoid or manage potential problems.
'While not everyone who took part supports the return of lynx, we now have a clear understanding of what needs to be put in place if a reintroduction is to happen.
'The Lynx to Scotland partnership must now work out if and how the recommendations can be delivered, and take that out to local consultation when we have clear proposals.'
When considering the impact on deer populations the report said that lynx could help achieve a more 'natural balance of species' within the ecosystem, though noted that they are unlikely to replace culling by humans or the impact of weather.
They may also have a positive impact on species of conservation concern such as capercaillie, black grouse and wildcats by preying on 'mesopredators', particularly foxes.
The report acknowledged there might be 'some concern around the public safety aspect of having a large carnivore in the landscape.'
Lynx were driven to extinction in the UK hundreds of years ago (Ben Birchall/PA)
However, it noted lynx are 'secretive animals which are rarely encountered by humans in the wild in their current natural range' and said there are no recorded instances of healthy lynx attacking people.
The report stated lynx pose no realistic threat to humans and said the predators 'should not discourage anyone from letting their children play in the woods'.
It also noted that despite their elusive nature, the presence of lynx could boost income from tourism.
Evidence from Europe suggests merely the knowledge that a large carnivore exists in the landscape is enough to increase visitor numbers and significantly increase tourism income, according to the report.
Any reintroduction of lynx would need approval from the Scottish Government, which would follow ecological assessments and a full public consultation.
Stakeholder group member Andrew Bauer, who has experience of species reintroduction policy in Scotland, said: 'Our recommendations aim to address the fact that we agreed there could be negative impacts on some rural livelihoods if lynx were reintroduced without proper checks and balances to prevent problems or manage them.'
Lynx to Scotland is a partnership between Trees for Life, Scotland: The Big Picture and the Lifescape Project.
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Spectator
8 hours ago
- Spectator
Does Northumberland really want to see the return of lynx?
Farming is hard, and sheep farming especially so. Sheep are endearing but awkward creatures, generally looking for the most inconvenient way to die. The weather is usually miserable. Lambing is an annual torment. The government is always dreaming up new ways to make things harder. In a real sense, I'm writing this because sheep farming is so hard. That's what persuaded me to leave the bleak, beautiful hills of Northumberland and make my living from writing and talking in bland, warm rooms in London. But my heart is still there, in the hills. My family too, and their sheep. So I continue to take an interest in the life of rural Northumberland, including in various attempts by well-meaning campaigners to reimagine the place as a stage for their environmental dreams. One such dream is the reintroduction of the lynx. For several years now, various groups have been pushing for the release into the Northumbrian countryside of the Eurasian lynx. These are magnificent beasts whose advocates say could play a vital role in local ecosystems. Not everyone is entirely persuaded, however. If you spend your waking life trying to keep sheep alive, the idea of 70-odd pounds of teeth and claws prowling your fields at night might just raise a few questions. But such doubts would spoil the story that lynx advocates appear keen to tell. Even though previous attempts to bring the lynx to Northumberland have been roundly rejected by local people, the lynx people are undeterred and continue to make their pitch. The latest drive comes from the Missing Lynx Project, a coalition of wildlife groups. It's got some headlines this week with a report that it says shows strong public support for releasing lynx into Northumberland's Kielder Forest and the surrounding areas of Cumbria and southern Scotland. Here's how they put it in their press release: A year-long social consultation has found that 72 per cent of people in the project area of Northumberland, bordering areas of Cumbria and southern Scotland, support potential lynx reintroduction. That line has already bounced around the media: '72 per cent of people in the region support their reintroduction', the BBC reports faithfully. Except that's not what the actual report says. This report details a commendably serious and reflective attempt to examine public opinion relating to lynx introduction. But that attempt is based on a large exercise in sampling bias. The 72 per cent figure comes from a self-selecting group drawn from people who visited a pro-lynx exhibition, attended talks, or voluntarily filled in a questionnaire organised by the same group campaigning for the reintroduction. These aren't ordinary members of the public drawn at random and representative of the wider population – they're the already-engaged, the already-interested, the already-convinced. Here's what the paper actually says about the survey data: As the questionnaire collected data from the 'active voice,' people who are interested in the topic or that have engaged with the project, the respondents that answered the questionnaire may not reflect the results at a regional or national population level. Compare and contrast that with the press release and headlines about 72 per cent of people in and around Northumberland backing the return of the lynx to Northumberland. The detail of that self-selecting sample is even more interesting. Of the 1,075 people in the area who completed the pro-lynx survey, no less than 42.9 per cent are employed in the 'environment and conservation' sectors. So, far from showing that the general public in Northumberland supports a controversial conservation project, the latest bit of lynx-lobbying actually shows that a lot of people who work in conservation and who engaged with a pro-lynx conservation project are in favour of a lynx-based conservation project. At the same time as spinning its consultation report, the pro-lynx camp is also highlighting a new paper in the Journal of Environmental Management which uses data analysis to show that Kielder Forest in Northumberland would be a lovely place to introduce a few dozen large carnivores. Again, it's a serious bit of work by academics and wildlife experts who earnestly believe that giving Britain some 'top carnivores' would have real ecological benefits. I'm sure they mean well. But the overall impression given by those two documents this week is of a coalition with an idée fixe – a pre-determined desire to let lynx loose somewhere, anywhere, in the UK. Quite where doesn't seem to matter to the lynx lobby, just so long as it's good for the big cats. The data paper is an overt attempt to identify places that would suit lynx. It devotes far less space to anyone else's needs. There are neat statistical estimates for how many lynx might be killed by cars, but no such modelling of potential livestock losses. All local farmers get – tucked away in an annex – is an airy concession that it is 'possible' the lynx would eat their sheep if deer populations turn out to be lower than expected: Although the current evidence from Europe suggests lynx do not frequently target livestock, it is possible that smaller livestock, such as sheep, might be predated in areas close to suitable lynx habitats or if wild prey species are of lower abundance. From the perspective of people who farm sheep for a living, that's not something to ignore. Hence, every time before that when the lynx lobbyists have tried to push big cats into Kielder, local opposition has blocked them. In 2015, the (Wales-based) Lynx UK Trust proposed an initial trial release of 18 lynx into Kielder. Farmers objected, warning of threats to livestock and questioning how the animals would be monitored and contained in such a vast and remote forest. The plan was abandoned, for a while. Then in 2018, the trust applied to Natural England for a licence to release six lynx. Defra rejected the application outright, saying it failed to meet international reintroduction guidelines and carried 'a significant risk' to livestock. Yet here we are again in 2025, with pro-lynx claims that – to put it mildly – appear to gloss over the possibility that local people, and farmers in particular, might not be keen on the lynx agenda. I'm not, as such, writing this to oppose that agenda. That would be somewhat hypocritical: I don't live there any longer, so it's not my place to say what should happen there. Instead, my point is that the people who live and farm in Northumberland should be the ones who decide whether large wild carnivores are set free in their woods and fields. The countryside is not a theme park. It's not there to fulfil the fantasies of rewilders looking for Instagrammable biodiversity or policy wins for their mailing lists. It's a working landscape, where people make a hard living from hard land. Those people deserve better than spin and lynx-lobbying.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Britain's oldest surviving WW2 hero and veteran of legendary battles dies aged 110 as hundreds line streets for funeral
The 110-year-old claimed he discovered the secret to his long life while stationed in North Africa WE SALUTE YOU Britain's oldest surviving WW2 hero and veteran of legendary battles dies aged 110 as hundreds line streets for funeral Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITAIN'S oldest war hero was laid to rest yesterday, with hundreds lining the streets for his funeral. Nearly 200 military veterans on motorbikes also paid tribute to Private Donald Rose, who died aged 110. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 10 Donald Rose, 110, was Britain's oldest surviving World War Two veteran Credit: PA 10 Donald was 25 when he joined up to fight in World War Two, and survived a gunshot Credit: At the cenotaph in Ilkeston, Derbys, a bugler played the Last Post. Donald joined up for World War Two aged 25, and became a sniper in the Queen's Royal Regiment, fighting in Tunis, North Africa, and Salerno, Italy. In 1944, he was part of an advance party that placed lamps on beaches in Normandy ahead of the D-Day landings. Donald suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during the Normandy invasion. READ MORE ON VETERANS THE LAST OF THE VALIANT Nine WW2 heroes mark D-Day anniversary with emotional Normandy trip But he quickly returned to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany before taking part in the liberation of Belsen death camp in April 1945. He said the secret to his long life was the salty water he had been forced to drink as a Desert Rat at the battles of Tobruk and El Alamein. Last May, the former dustman — who worked until he was 70 — was well enough to attend VE-Day commemorations held by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. He died on July 11 at Ilkeston's Canal Vue care home, where he had lived for five years following the death of his wife Jeanette. There, Douglas drew up a bucket list of activities that included holding a vintage motorbike show at the care home, riding on a fire engine and trying out a flight simulator. So it was fitting that 186 riders from the Armed Forces Bikers, Royal British Legion Riders Branch and the Household Division Motorcycle Club joined his cortège. Haunting art honours the 1,475 brave Allied troops who died on D-Day standing like ghosts above beaches where they fell 10 Servicemen, veterans and members of the public lined the streets for the funeral Credit: PA 10 Youngsters at Ilkeston Football Club were among those to pay their respects Credit: PA They followed his hearse for two miles to Ilkeston Town FC. Junior footballers, lining the route into the ground, held up a poster, reading: 'For our tomorrow you gave your today. RIP Donald Rose.' The funeral service heard the great-grandfather joined the Army because he felt 'they needed me to fight'. He had added: 'I wanted to save this country from the fascists.' Naomi Allsop, who helped Donald draw up his bucket list, described him as a 'walking history book'. But the modest veteran always said: 'I didn't do anything that anybody else wouldn't have done.' The Royal British Legion said: 'Donald's life and legacy will forever serve as a poignant reminder of the invaluable sacrifices made by those who served during WW2.' Parade marshal John Wallace, of Derbyshire Royal British Legion, said: 'He epitomised all that was great and all that we have to be grateful for to his generation.' 10 Donald suffered a gunshot to the leg during the Normandy invasion Credit: Getty 10 He served in North Africa as a Desert Rat at the battles of Tobruk and El Alamein Credit: Getty 10 Donald became a sniper in the Queen's Royal Regiment, fighting in Tunis, North Africa Credit: Getty 10 He claimed the salty water he had to drink in the desert was vital to his long life Credit: Getty 10 He also served as a sniper in battles in Salerno, Italy Credit: Getty
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Motorbike tribute marks final journey of UK's oldest Second World War veteran
Donald Rose, who was a D-Day veteran and fought as a Desert Rat in North Africa, died last month aged 110. The service, held on Friday at Ilkeston Football Ground in Derbyshire, was attended by Mr Rose's family, members of the armed forces, the Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, the High Sheriff, the Mayor of Erewash and others who wanted to pay tribute to the 'war hero'. The coffin arrives at Ilkeston Football Ground for Mr Rose's funeral (Jacob King/PA) Some bikers who escorted the hearse to the service attached Union Flags and other flags reading 'Lest we forget' to their motorbikes, while children outside the football ground held a banner which said: 'For our tomorrow you gave your today. RIP Donald Rose.' John Wallace, a parade marshal for the Royal British Legion (RBL) in Derbyshire, told the crowd of people gathered at the service: 'Don had an interest in motorbikes. 'It is fitting that Don's final journey is accompanied by so many like-minded people, and it is a wonderful tribute. 'He epitomised all that was great and all that we have to be grateful for to his generation.' The service was told that the great-grandfather joined the army because, in his own words, 'they needed me to fight' and 'I wanted to save this country from the fascists'. Mr Rose attended a Royal British Legion to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day in May (Jacob King/PA) Mr Rose, who was believed to be Britain's oldest man, was born on Christmas Eve 1914. Originally from Westcott, Surrey, he joined the army aged 23 and served in North Africa, Italy and France, according to the RBL. He received a number of medals and was awarded the Legion D'Honneur, France's highest honour. Erewash Borough Council leader James Dawson paid tribute to Mr Rose as a 'war hero' after his death on July 11. In May, Mr Rose joined 45 other veterans as guests of honour at a tea party celebration hosted by the RBL at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Staffordshire, to mark 80 years since VE Day. Mr Rose, who was attached to the division which liberated Belsen concentration camp, said at the event that he did not celebrate the momentous day 80 years ago. The cortege passed the Ilkeston Cenotaph on Friday (Jacob King/PA) He said: 'When I heard that the armistice had been signed 80 years ago, I was in Germany at Belsen and, like most active soldiers, I didn't get to celebrate at that time. 'We just did what we thought was right and it was a relief when it was over.' The Erewash mayor presented Mr Rose with the freedom of the borough for his bravery in the Second World War that same month. According to the council, Mr Rose said he was proud and happy to receive it, but said: 'I didn't do anything that anyone else would not have done.' When he was aged 106, Mr Rose completed his bucket list dream of flying a plane by operating a flight simulator. Members of the public turned out to see the cortege pass the Ilkeston Cenotaph on Friday afternoon before a private cremation service was expected to take place.
