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Farming and lynx can co-exist says Missing Lynx Project

Lynx © Mark Hamblin/Scotland: The Big Picture

The Missing Lynx Project is asking communities in Northumberland and the bordering edges of Cumbria and southern Scotland for people’s views on lynx. This follows some recent research which shows that lynx released in Northumberland could thrive in the area due to the high proportion of woodland in the region. Their reintroduction could bring community-wide benefits and boost local wildlife.

The project is hosting a touring Missing Lynx exhibition which gives communities a chance to find out more and share their views on bringing back this missing species. The exhibition provides a range of consultation opportunities to listen and explore people’s opinions around bringing lynx back to Britain through questionnaires, interviews, workshops and focus groups. Watch this short film to get a flavour of the exhibition!

The Missing Lynx Project is a partnership between Northumberland Wildlife Trust, The Lifescape Project and The Wildlife Trusts. The partners would support a release of lynx in Northumberland – but only if local people are willing to accept the animal back to the region.

Lynx used to live in Britain but became extinct because most forests were cut down. In the last 100 years woodlands have expanded and the Project has completed research which shows it would be feasible to bring lynx back to Northumberland and the bordering edges of Cumbria and southern Scotland. Reintroducing lynx to the area would have a positive effect on local habitats and wildlife. The lack of natural predators has led to a dramatic increase in deer numbers over the last century – and this is known to pose a significant risk to our woodlands.*

In Britain, the main prey of lynx is likely to be roe deer. Each lynx is likely to kill about 50 deer per year. Therefore, they will have a direct effect on deer numbers, but importantly, lynx will also change deer behaviour. With a top carnivore in the environment, deer are more wary and will spend less time feeding in one area, giving woodlands time to recover. 

There is a predation risk to livestock and particularly sheep. The varied rates of predation that are experienced across Europe will be discussed in farming focus groups, as will how this risk is managed in different countries and the issue of compensation.  

 

Dr Deborah Brady, The Lifescape Project’s Lead Ecologist says:

Bringing back lynx can have a beneficial impact on rural economies. Their presence can boost tourism and provide new economic opportunities in rural areas. In the Harz Mountains in Germany the reintroduced lynx have helped boost tourism. Even though they are rarely seen, just knowing that lynx are there makes people want to visit. As part of the consultation by the Missing Lynx Project, local ideas on business opportunities will be captured through a community business plan.   

“It’s vital that any plans to reintroduce lynx back to the UK must be evidence-based, with a clear long-term strategy, and involve local communities and farmers. This is precisely why the Missing Lynx Project is asking communities in the area for people’s views on lynx.

“In France, Germany and Switzerland communities coexist with lynx and are able to live alongside them. Lynx are very rarely seen, but despite this some regions are going to great lengths to help lynx thrive again because of the benefits that they bring.”

 

John Cresswell, Northumberland farmer, says:

“I am a sheep farmer and landowner with a strong interest in helping nature recover in Northumberland. I enjoyed my visit to the Missing Lynx roadshow – it taught me a lot about this animal. I do not believe that lynx would pose a significant threat to sheep here because they are ambush predators of woodland and don’t tend emerge into open countryside – whereas our sheep graze in open fields and pastures. Furthermore, research in Europe suggests that where there are roe deer, lynx would much prefer to eat these as an alternative. We are not short of roe. Now that we have more woodland in the region it would seem entirely appropriate to review the opportunities for lynx reintroduction.”

 

Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, says:

“The Missing Lynx Project is at the start of a conversation about lynx – we want to listen to people and hear their opinions. No reintroduction of lynx will happen unless local people accept lynx back again. Nature is in crisis and one in six species is now at risk of extinction in this country. Lynx are one of the native species that were once part of the rich mix of wildlife found in our countryside and one of many species that have vanished due to human impact. We welcome everyone to the exhibition who wants to find out more and voice their opinion.”

 

The exhibition is free and tickets can be booked online. Everyone is invited to the exhibition which will welcome visitors during the day, evenings and at weekends. Venue locations include Hexham Abbey, the Hancock in Newcastle and Moffat.

Editor's notes

*Increase in deer numbers – see Forestry Commission’s Reducing the impact of deer on the natural environment – consultation opens – Forestry Commission (blog.gov.uk)

 

Large-carnivore tourism is being developed in several areas of Europe, and since the reintroduction of the lynx to the Harz National Park in Germany in 2000, authorities and businesses have moved quickly to utilise the lynx as a marketing tool. On the German tourism agency’s website, potential visitors to the Harz Mountains are invited to experience “Incredible wilderness in the Kingdom of the Lynx”. (Hetherington, D., 2006. The lynx in Britain's past, present and future. ECOS-BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF NATURE CONSERVATIONISTS, 27(1), p.66.)

 

The UK nature crisis

The UK’s wildlife is continuing to decline according to the landmark study, State of Nature 2023 - report on the UK’s current biodiversity. Already classified as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries, nearly one in six of the more than ten thousand species assessed (16%) are at risk of being lost from Great Britain.

However, this figure is much higher for some groups such as birds (43%), amphibians and reptiles (31%), and terrestrial mammals (26%). Much loved species such as turtle dove, hazel dormouse, lady’s slipper orchid and European eel now face an uncertain future. There have also been declines in the distributions of 54% of our flowering plant species such as heather and harebell.

The list of extinct British wildlife is long and includes the great auk, large copper butterfly, lynx and tree frog – see Extinct British wildlife | The Wildlife Trusts. Many species are now increasingly vulnerable, such as hedgehog and curlew, or are in danger of disappearing. Most of the important habitats for the UK’s nature are in poor condition, but restoration projects have clear benefits for nature and people, as well as for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

We need healthy ecosystems for our clean water, fresh air and food security. Bringing lost species back and rebuilding our ecosystems is a vital part of tackling this nature crisis, and bringing back lynx could be part of this solution.

 

Lynx – background

The lynx is an elusive and solitary cat that lives in forests across mainland Europe and there is evidence of them living in Britain until medieval times. They are roughly the height of a Labrador dog but weigh less, have tufted ears, a spotted brown and white coat and golden eyes. They keep their distance from humans – and it’s hard to see them because they like the cover that woodland provides. They prey on mainly roe deer, but also smaller mammals such as rabbits and even foxes. Lynx are mainly active at dawn and dusk – they tend to sleep during the day. 

  

Lynx – in our forests

For the many thousands of years that we did have lynx in Britain they were a critical part of our ecosystems. But now all of our top carnivores are missing. Eurasian lynx eat mostly deer but can also eat medium-sized carnivores such as foxes and small animals such as rabbits. Their presence in our ecosystems regulated other animals and had trickle down benefits such as forest regeneration or providing carcasses for a wide range of animals, birds and insects.

 

Lynx – conservation efforts abroad

There are four species of lynx in the world; two are found in north America and two across Eurasia. The Eurasian lynx is one of two lynx species in Europe and has made a successful comeback since the 1970s thanks to conservation efforts, community support, habitat protection and reintroductions in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy and Slovenia. This followed decades of hunting and habitat loss, which caused their numbers to plummet to their lowest ever in the mid-20th century. The slightly smaller Iberian lynx is found in Portugal and Spain, where breeding programmes have also seen numbers return, saving this species from extinction.

 

Lynx viability in northern England and southern Scotland

We now know that lynx could grow into a healthy population from a release in Northumberland. Working with experts across Europe, The Lifescape Project used data from European lynx populations in computer models to test the viability of growth and survival of a population. The forests of northern England and southern Scotland form a habitat patch where a healthy lynx population could develop. This habitat patch was the only suitable area of England & Wales for lynx.

 

The Lifescape Project

The Lifescape Project works toward a world rich in wild landscapes, providing a sustainable future for life on earth. As a registered charity, our multidisciplinary team works on projects globally which catalyse the creation, restoration and protection of wild landscapes. Those projects bring together team members with backgrounds in science, technology, law, economics, and culture, to have the greatest possible chance of succeeding for the benefit of both people and nature. www.lifescapeproject.org

 

Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Northumberland Wildlife Trust is the largest environmental charity in the region working to safeguard native wildlife. One of 46 Wildlife Trusts across the UK, Northumberland Wildlife Trust has campaigned for nature conservation for over 53 years. It aims to inform, educate and involve people of all ages and backgrounds in protecting their environment in favour of wildlife and conservation. Supported by over 12,000 individual and 40 corporate members in the region, Northumberland Wildlife Trust manages and protects critical species and habitats at over 60 nature reserves throughout Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. www.nwt.org.uk

 

The Wildlife Trusts

The Wildlife Trusts are making the world wilder and helping to ensure that nature is part of everyone’s lives. We are a grassroots movement of 46 charities with more than 910,000 members and 35,000 volunteers. No matter where you are in Britain, there is a Wildlife Trust inspiring people and saving, protecting and standing up for the natural world. With the support of our members, we care for and restore over 2,000 special places for nature on land and run marine conservation projects and collect vital data on the state of our seas. Every Wildlife Trust works within its local community to inspire people to create a wilder future – from advising thousands of landowners on how to manage their land to benefit wildlife, to connecting hundreds of thousands of school children with nature every year. www.wildlifetrusts.org