Releasing just 20 lynx in Northumberland would be enough to create a healthy wild population, research has found, and most people in the area would support the practice.
Northumberland Wildlife Trust has been working to see if the wild cats, which became extinct in Britain about 1,300 years ago as a result of hunting and habitat loss, could be returned to the area.
In a paper published in the Journal of Environmental Management, modelling studies found that lynx would be able to thrive in the area.
The study found a release of 20 lynx over several years into the Kielder Forest area would over time create a healthy population of about 50 animals covering north-west Northumberland, the edge of Cumbria and the bordering areas of southern Scotland. The researchers said it was the only area of England and Wales with enough woodland for lynx to thrive.
Conservationists supporting the reintroduction of the lynx to the UK say it could bring many benefits such as hunting deer that overpopulate woodlands and eat bark off trees, which destroys them.
The shy animals are slightly smaller than a labrador and prefer large areas of dense woodland in which to roam. The areas in which they could be released successfully in the UK are limited, as most forests are no longer big enough. The animal has been reintroduced in several European countries, including Germany, Switzerland and France.
Due to its wealth of woodland, the Wildlife Trusts pinpointed Northumberland as an ideal place to explore the feasibility of returning the wild cat. A year-long consultation found that 72% of people within the project area supported the reintroduction of the animal.
The group also talked to farmers, some of whom were concerned about the possibility of lynx taking their sheep, and ran a trip to European countries where lynx have been reintroduced. The farmers met agricultural workers and people who have been living alongside the wild cat for decades.
Lauren Harrison, a sheep farmer from Hadrian’s Wall, said: “I saw in Europe that it’s possible to live alongside lynx. The risks to livestock can be minimal and there are so many positives. Tourism is an obvious one, but I also think a more balanced ecosystem is beneficial to farmers.
“I’ve been really impressed with the approach and the professionalism of the Missing Lynx Project. I think it’s really setting the standard for reintroduction projects. Consultation has been at the heart of everything they do. They have really listened and are still keen to work with farmers to make sure any reintroduction is well managed.
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“I’d urge other farmers to engage with them and take some ownership of the project. The wider public clearly supports a lynx reintroduction and this is a great chance to help make it happen with so little risk to our businesses.”
The Wildlife Trusts were at the forefront of the campaign to bring beavers back to England, which happened legally for the first time this year after the government finally approved the releases. Ministers would have to approve any release of lynx into the wild.
Dr Rob Stoneman, the director of landscape recovery at the Wildlife Trusts, said: “Bringing back lynx could benefit wildlife more widely, something that is sorely needed in this nature-depleted country. We have pushed many native species to extinction, and it makes sense to bring missing wildlife back where feasible.
“Bison and beavers have invigorated degraded habitats and this consultation shows there is now an opportunity for us to bring back lynx too.”