As our Barometer column reminded us this week, a campaign is underway to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx – which became extinct in the UK around 1,300 years ago – to the British countryside. But is bringing back lynx to the wilds of the UK really a good idea?
Well, for starters there are many farmers and livestock owners who certainly won’t be very pleased to see them. Lynx UK – who are behind the plans – have claimed that they are willing to subsidise farmers for any loss of livestock that the lynx are responsible for. But that probably won’t put farmers’ minds at rest – especially hill farmers, whose animals would be most at risk from any newly introduced predators.
Lynx certainly do cause a certain amount of harm in countries where they already exist, although there has long been a debate about how many sheep deaths lynx actually account for.
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