Lynx © Kenny Goossen
The Missing Lynx Project is a partnership project investigating the possibility of reintroducing lynx to England.
We are currently exploring the ecological, practical and social feasibility of reintroducing lynx. This is basically asking three key questions. Is there an area in England where lynx could live? How could we go about bringing lynx back? And would local people accept lynx back in the landscape?
To answer this last question, The Missing Lynx Project is hosting an exhibition which will tour around areas where lynx could potentially live and local towns. The exhibition will open a conversation and find out what local people think about lynx, and whether this missing species could be brought back.
The Missing Lynx Project partnership would support a lynx reintroduction to England if there is both an area in Britain where lynx can live, and if local people are accepting of the animal back in the landscape.
Why lynx?
Eurasian lynx are native to Britain and lived here for thousands of years until they disappeared in medieval times when their woodland habitat was largely chopped down. Lynx were a critical part of our ecosystems. As top carnivores, they hunted deer and sometimes foxes. This helped regulate prey populations and had trickle down benefits for other wildlife.
Find out more about the role of lynx
Lynx could also provide social benefits for people and local communities, such as wildlife watching experiences and nature tourism. These benefits have already been seen in other countries where lynx have been reintroduced.
Discover more benefits that lynx can bring
Our approach
Lynx reintroductions have been taking place across Europe over the last few decades. We are learning from these successful projects and working with European experts to assess whether it would be possible to have a lynx reintroduction in England. The first step was to use scientific evidence to examine whether there was anywhere in Britain where lynx could live.
Our research found that if lynx were to be released in Northumberland, they could grow into a healthy population covering north-west Northumberland, the edge of Cumbria and the bordering areas of southern Scotland. Only in this area do we have the extensive forest habitats that lynx need. A reintroduction would not be possible in other areas of England and Wales.
The project is listening to what people think about the idea of bringing lynx back. As part of this, we're hosting a travelling exhibition, which will tour venues around the area of possible lynx habitat.
The exhibition is a family friendly day out with interactive displays bringing to life the habitat that lynx could live in. Visitors can discover how our landscape has changed over the years, how nature has been lost and how restoring missing species could help nature to recover.
Lynx © Berndt Fischer
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If you would like to support The Missing Lynx Project to reach more people please consider donating today.