The Missing Lynx Project condemns the illegal release of animals. Reintroduction of any species is a delicate process requiring careful planning and the acceptance of local communities. This is important for the welfare of the animals involved as well as the chances of establishing a healthy population.  

Our project supports a legal lynx reintroduction 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. The Missing Lynx Project’s focus is on Northumberland and bordering areas of Cumbria and southern Scotland, where our pioneering research has shown that there is enough forest habitat to support a healthy population of lynx.  

The project is engaging with communities in the region and listening to their thoughts and opinions on the subject of lynx reintroduction. This includes community workshops and focus groups for farmers, businesses and other interested parties. This month will also see the return of our travelling Missing Lynx Exhibition, which has already welcomed more than 8,000 visitors across the region.  

The lynx is an elusive and solitary cat, which is native to Britain – with evidence they were present until medieval times – and continues to live in forests across mainland Europe. For the many thousands of years that they were present they were a critical part of our ecosystems. Lynx pose no danger to people and prefer to keep their distance. They eat mostly roe 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 and by providing carcasses to feed a wide range of animals, birds and insects. 

Nature is in crisis and one in six species is now at risk of extinction in this country. Bringing lost species back and rebuilding our ecosystems is a vital part of tackling this nature crisis, and the reintroduction of lynx could be part of this solution.