RZSSThe Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has confirmed that a lynx captured in the Cairngorms National Park on Friday has died overnight.
The feral cat was one of four, illegally released, that were captured near Kingusi in the Highlands in recent days.
The animals were humanely captured in pairs in the Dale of Killantly area and taken to the Highland Wildlife Park.
The RZSS said they would be under a lot of stress after being released into a new and “extremely harsh” environment.
After the alert was issued on Wednesday, the first pair captured on Thursday have been transferred to Edinburgh Zoo where they will remain in quarantine for 30 days.
They will be joined by the pair’s surviving links captured on Friday, about 12 hours after they were first spotted.
Some conservation groups are campaigning to reintroduce feral cats to Scotland.
But farming communities have expressed concern about the potential impact on livestock.
Dr Helen Sen, head of conservation at RZSS, said: “Unfortunately we got word overnight that one of the lynx didn’t make it. It was found dead this morning.”
The cause of death is currently unknown.
He added that a full post-mortem examination will be conducted but the results will not be known for a few days.
Dr Sen said: “If anything, this unfortunate development only further demonstrates the folly of leaving these amazing animals in the wild, with no preparation or real concern for their welfare.
“We can only imagine the stress the four recovered links must have faced after being thrown into a completely new and extremely harsh environment to fend for themselves.
“Our team of specialist keepers and vets will now ensure they receive the best possible care going forward.”
Dr. Sen added that the temperature in the area had dropped to minus 14 degrees Celsius.
Typically for this time of year, the average low in northern Scotland is 0.3C.
The society said it was “reasonably confident” there were no other links in the area.
RZSS chief executive David Field said there were two possible explanations for the illegal release.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today The programme: “Sadly there are rogue rewilders out there who ignore all established international best practice and ignore all the professional bodies that are talking about returning to Scotland.
“They’re impatient and then proceed in a way that’s this rebellious snobbery.
“It’s really sad and it’s a real, real threat.”
Mr Field added that it could also simply be the abandonment of animals no longer wanted to care for.
Steve Michael Wright, chief executive of Trees for Life, which is a member of the three charity Links to Scotland partnership, said: “We are awaiting the results of the post-mortem, but the tragic death of one of these beautiful, charismatic animals. It is very irresponsible and wrong to explain why illegal animals are released.
“We hope the other three links are safe and follow the excellent efforts of the experts in trapping them so quickly.
“This sad story is a reminder why future reintroductions of lynx to the Highlands must be properly managed with habitat assessments, public consultation and government licensing.
“This will be a huge win for Scotland in the fight against extinction, and will allow it to join other European countries in benefiting from the return of these amazing, shy animals that are a key missing piece of our ecosystem. are part.”
RZSS said the captured lynx were rabid and used to humans.
Lynx, which are about the size of a Labrador, are generally shy and solitary creatures and attacks on humans are almost unheard of.
Police Scotland said an investigation into how the feral cats ended up in the area was ongoing.
A force spokesman added that officers and wildlife experts would continue to inspect the area where the animals were found.