Three lynx released illegally into wild 'doing well' after quarantine at Edinburgh Zoo

The lynx have just completed their 30-day quarantine at Edinburgh Zoo Credit: Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

Three lynx that were illegally released in the Cairngorms are “doing well” after completing their 30-day quarantine at Edinburgh Zoo.

The wild cats were found roaming the Drumguish area, near Kingussie in January and were trapped by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the charity which runs the zoo.

All three lynx are female, under a year old and have been named as A, B and C to follow the naming convention of the RZSS charity’s founder, Thomas Gillespie, when Edinburgh Zoo first opened in 1913.

They have been described as healthy since their quarantine.

RZSS chief executive David Field said: “Our team of expert keepers and veterinarians have been delighted by how well they have settled in and have been observing closely how all three are becoming more confident and beginning to show their personalities."

The lynx were illegally released in the Cairngorms National Park. Credit: Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
The lynx were found in Dell of Killiehuntly area near Kingussie. Credit: Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

A fourth male lynx of the same age was was also captured at the time but sadly died in January.

Mr Field said that releasing animals into the wild is "highly irresponsible" and that the others would have died had they not been rescued.

The RZSS is looking for a permanent home for the lynx, but in the meantime Mr Field said the charity has been met with an "outpouring of support" after they launched an appeal for donations to help fund their care at Edinburgh Zoo.

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