Two more lynx have been spotted on the loose in the Highlands as rural campaigners demand prosecution for ‘wildlife criminals’ responsible for the illegal release.
Police Scotland are investigating a sighting of another two lynx in the Scottish Highlands, seen in the Dell of Killiehuntly area near Kingussie at about 7.10am today.
Officers say they believe the sighting is connected to the release of two other lyn seen in the same area on Wednesday, which were safely captured on Thursday.
Members of the public have been warned not to approach the wild cats, with police saying officers were working with specially-trained personnel to capture them.
Experts from Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), along with police and Cairngorms National Park rangers, are trying to capture the animals.
RZSS chief executive, David Field said: "Two more lynx have been sighted in the same Cairngorms location where we successfully captured a pair yesterday.
"Further traps are being baited in the area and the hope is that these animals will be safely and humanely captured before being taken to Edinburgh Zoo to join the two captured yesterday in quarantine."
Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, called for those responsible to be punished in "exactly the same way as any other wildlife criminals".
"It is illegal and utterly arrogant to release predators into the countryside without proper consideration of their impact on domestic animals and vulnerable wildlife, without the consent of the local community.
“There may well be a case for reintroducing lynx to Scotland but that must be done properly," he said.
Some conservation groups have been campaigning to have the wild cats re-introduced into Scotland.
But the sheep sector has frequently said that any reintroduction could be far reaching, including the stress placed on farmers knowing that an apex predator is in the vicinity.
Evidence shows that some European sheep flocks have suffered great losses due to lynx predation.
The National Sheep Association (NSA) has previously called for a 'full consultation' before any decision is taken to reintroduce the Eurasian Lynx.
The body's chief executive, Phil Stocker said there must be 'practical and science-based evidence and reasoning' from the government and charities.
He said: "NSA would advocate for a case-by-case approach to ensure there is a robust and clear strategy to ensure unintended consequences are avoided.
"As an organisation we will engage constructively with this conversation, on the understanding that it will inform whether a formal consultation should proceed in advance of any licence application.
“As sheep farmers, we will be far more directly affected than most and we have a duty and a right to express our views."
