Eurasian Lynx: Return to England Planned
Efforts to reintroduce the lynx to England are gaining momentum.
It is 1’300 years since this predator, known for maintaining the balance of ecosystems, was hunted to extinction.
England and Ireland are among the few countries in Europe where the predator Eurasian lynx no longer exists.
Like most larger native animals of England, wolves and beavers, it was hunted to extinction, in this case around 1’300 years ago, which contributed to England becoming one of the most nature-depleted countries in Europe.
The campaign to reintroduce the lynx to Kielder Forest in Northumberland is gaining momentum and anticipates a favourable reception from the Labour government, although sheep farmers, among others, may hold different views.
The lynx, which has been successfully reintroduced in four European countries while remnant populations survive elsewhere, is essentially a large cat weighing up to 25 kg, roughly the size of a Springer Spaniel. It hunts at night and would feed primarily on the surplus deer in Kielder Forest, but also hunt and eat foxes, hares and rabbits. They are widely regarded as excellently suited to maintaining a healthy ecosystem in balance.
The irony of such reintroductions is that lynx dramatically boost tourism, as visitors hope to catch sight of the wild cat. However, since the animals are so elusive that they must be fitted with tracking collars before release in order to determine where they have disappeared to, this is unlikely.
