Farmers whose sheep are killed by lynx should be paid for their losses as an incentive to reintroduce the wild cats back into the Scottish Highlands, a report has said.
Hunting and habitat loss drove lynx to extinction in Scotland in the Middle Ages. But rewilding campaigners have pushed for them to be brought back to restore ecosystems, including helping to control Scotland’s burgeoning deer population.
The detailed analysis, which sets out what a lynx reintroduction project in Scotland would need to do to ensure the animals and people could coexist, was informed by more than 50 interested parties, including farmer and landowner organisations, gamekeepers, foresters, tourism operators and conservationists.
The National Lynx Discussion — with meetings taking place over nine months — 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, the chief executive of Trees for Life and a member of the partnership, 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.”
The group found that lynx are likely to prey on sheep and lambs if they are reintroduced, but they could also bring environmental and economic benefits.
The report gave the example of Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and France, which pay out millions to farmers for livestock predation “albeit, mostly for damages caused by and protection against wolves”.
It added that the average annual compensation across Europe paid per animal for damages attributed to lynx from 2005-2012 was €700, compared with €1,800 for bears, €2,400 for wolves and €6,300 for wolverines.
Rather than focusing on compensation payments, however, it added that a review of protection methods used for various large predators in 23 countries found that those used to prevent damage to livestock by lynx were among the most effective — including electric fences, shepherding and livestock guardian dogs.
It suggested an effective management system could include paying farmers for losses and co-existence, with relocation or lethal control as “necessary components” of any framework to manage the issue.
The report also found that lynx could have a “significant” impact on game birds 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 and they could help with deer population control.
• A deer cull saved Winnie-the-Pooh forest — and fed the hungry
Estimates suggest there are around one million wild deer in Scotland, double the numbers in 1990.
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 it 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 that there might be “some concern around the public safety aspect of having a large carnivore in the landscape.”
However, it noted that 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 that lynx pose no realistic threat to humans and said the predators “should not discourage anyone from letting their children play in the woods”.
Any reintroduction of lynx would need approval from the Scottish government, which would follow ecological assessments and a public consultation.
Four lynx were illegally released in the Highlands earlier this year before being captured. “Rogue rewilders” were blamed for their release, with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RSZZ) saying they had been abandoned in the wild “with no preparation or real concern for their welfare”. One of the cats died, while the other three have been moved to the Highlands Wildlife Park.
