NSA disputes claims local landowners are on board with lynx release

“NSA also disputed the claim that we are ‘baseless scaremongers’, as the influential arguments we have put forward against the release is based on experiences from farmers in other European countries.”

Chief scientific advisor for Lynx UK Trust Dr Paul O’Donoghue said the backing ‘speaks volumes’ for confidence in the trial reintroduction, ‘and the potential it has for improving the local ecosystem and expanding the local tourist economy’.

“We have got an incredible team of ecologists, four wildlife vets and highly experienced reintroduction specialists ready to start work, with a combined 300-years experience between them.

Insurance

“This will be an exceptionally rigorous, scientifically-led reintroduction trial using cutting-edge technology to monitor these cats in stunning detail.”

The team recently expanded with the addition of Wildwood Trust, which said the UK’s ecosystem ‘desperately needed’ reintroductions of apex predators.

It reiterated the Trust had pre-arranged insurance for every sheep in the UK against lynx attacks following what it called ‘a perceived threat to sheep which has come largely from baseless NSA scaremongering’.

Dr O’Donoghue added: “The union has avoided every opportunity to engage with the project and seem to have no interest in their members benefitting from the extensive opportunities a reintroduction could bring.

“There is literally no evidence that lynx will have any significant negative effect on sheep farming, quite the opposite.

“We cannot let completely unsubstantiated rhetoric take priority over scientific evidence, economic evidence and incredible public support.”