It's #FelidFriday so I want to talk to you about Lynx Reintroduction in the UK. If you aren't familiar, the UK has lost all of it's large predators and there is a push lately to consider lynx and wolf reintroductions(to some extend bear too). Photo credit Ben Williams

The Eurasian Lynx is the most likely candidate given a less controversial profile than wolves and bears. One of the reasons for reintroduction is the control of the UK's deer population which averages 1.5 million individuals a year and does a lot of damage to the landscape.

Eurasian lynx are definitely capable of doing so and just their presence alone can create a "landscape of fear" that will keep deer moving and prevent overgrazing. They also are solitary and shy and thus unlikely to interact much with humans (Photo Credit Lauren Geslin).

Most of the potential sites considered for Lynx reintroduction are in Scotland with the Lynx UK Trust pinpointing the Queen Elisabeth Forest Park as their proposed site for reintroduction. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-53801923?at_campaign=64&at_custom2=twitter&at_medium=custom7&at_custom4=4EAF4300-E06A-11EA-9E33-5CB3FCA12A29&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_custom3=%40BBCScotlandNews

There are of course challenges to be faced before reintroduction. One of the main ones is of course livestock. Due to the absence of predators, husbandry practices in the UK are different than countries where predators are present.

Livestock guardian dogs are rarely used, flandry, fox lights etc are not used to my knowledge, and If you add to that Scotland's right to roam then fencing becomes a complicated issue since fences need to be kept low enough for humans to cross or access points should be present.

Although the initial proposed reintroduced population is going to be small, if the reintroduction goes well lynx can spread across most of Scotland's forests and even venture down to areas in the UK. (Photo credit Tarvo Valker)

Of course, not everyone is on board. Reintroductions can be costly and unsuccessful, especially in a place such as the UK where roads are prevalent. Tthe threat of a predator in the landscape also makes farmers, hikers etc uncomfortable. (Photo credit Peter Cairns).

Others argue that something should first be done about the Scottish Wildcat, a species plagued with hybridization, habitat loss and being outcompeted by feral cats. There may not be a lot(if any) genetically pure wildlcats left in Scotland. (Photo credit Peter Trimming).

If the lynx is to be brought back to the landscape, this presents a fascinating opportunity regarding human-wildlife conflict. We should educate and prepare affected stakeholders ahead of the reintroduction and provide everyone with the necessary tools to prevent conflict...

...and perhaps just perhaps successfully reintroduce a carnivore with almost everyone on board. One can only hope. Photo credit (Emmanuel Rondeau)