Wildwood Trust has designed the new facility at its wildlife park near Canterbury in Kent, with the rural North East area now being assessed
Eurasian lynx explore their new home at a Wildwood Trust wildlife park near Canterbury in Kent(Image: PA)
A new lynx enclosure has been unveiled in a ‘major milestone’ on the road to the wild cats’ reintroduction to British wildlife after hundreds of years, as a Northumberland site could come next. Wildwood Trust has designed the new facility at its wildlife park near Canterbury in Kent, with the rural North East area now being assessed.
On Tuesday, Eurasian lynx Torridon and Flossie were pictured perching next to each other as they explored their new home. The species is a native British predator that disappeared in medieval times due to the loss of woodland.
Paul Whitfield, director general of Wildwood Trust, said: “This new facility is about more than creating a home for our lynx; it’s about helping to move them from a species we’ve lost to one we’re bringing back.
“The idea that lynx could once again roam our wild places is not only feasible but incredibly exciting, and something we should all celebrate.”
Eurasian lynx explore their new home at a Wildwood Trust wildlife park near Canterbury in Kent(Image: PA)
The charity is best known for reintroducing European bison to the wild, and has noted that reintroducing the wild cats to the UK would help to regulate prey like deer, and eventually lead to more balanced ecosystems.
Now, the Missing Lynx Project, led by The Lifescape Project, is in the process of assessing whether local habitats and communities in the aforementioned Northumberland, Cumbria and Scotland would be ready for their return.
On this, Dr Deborah Brady, lead ecologist at The Lifescape Project, also said: “We hope to apply for a licence, but only once we have a plan that’s designed together with local people, one that sets out measures that are feasible and can actually work.”
Public debate around the reintroduction of lynx was reignited in January, after an incident which saw four lynx be illegally released in the Scottish Highlands.
Eurasian lynx explore their new home at a Wildwood Trust wildlife park near Canterbury in Kent(Image: PA)
Sally Holt, head of carnivores and small mammals at Wildwood, added: “While some people misunderstand lynx and how they live, in reality, lynx are shy, solitary animals that avoid human contact and play an important role in keeping ecosystems healthy.
“Part of our job at Wildwood is to help people see the lynx for what it truly is, a quiet, elusive predator of deer that once helped balance our natural landscapes.”
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