Second pair of lynx caught in Cairngorms
Camera trap captures images of two more lynxes roaming the Highlands.
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A second pair of lynxes have been caught after being found near Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park.
Two more lynxes, released illegally, were caught in the same area on Thursday.
Staff from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland captured all the animals by setting a series of human traps in the area to lure them in.
The RZSS confirmed the latest pair were caught at around 6.30pm near the Killiehuntly Dell, where the other two lynxes were also successfully captured.
The latest lynx, believed to be larger than the other two cats, was first seen at around 7.10am on Friday. "In good health"
Dr Helen Senn, RZSS Conservation Officer, said: "I'm sure everyone in the community will be delighted and relieved to know that the second pair of lynx have been safely captured.
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"Initial reports indicate that they appear to be in good health, which is the most important thing."
"It has been a tense 48 hours, with people working day and night in extremely difficult conditions, but I have been very impressed by the efforts of our staff, as well as our partners and members of the local community to ensure that the outcome is positive. ." »
He added that the lynx would be taken to the Highland Wildlife Park before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo for quarantine for 30 days - as was the case with the first pair found on Thursday.
"While we do not believe there are any more lynxes, we will continue to monitor the release site under the guidance of Police Scotland," he added.
Two other spotted lynxes were found wandering in the wild in the Highlands
Lynx caught after illegal release in the Highlands
The RZSS condemned the illegal release of wild animals. David Field, chief executive of the RZSS, told BBC News he was "relieved" the animals had been captured.
He said their relationship with humans meant they were "looking for food on a plate" and perhaps wanted to be rescued.
But Mr Field said it was "irresponsible and wrong" for people to attempt the "wildcat bust".
He said: "These lynxes probably pose a minimal risk but the community was concerned about the safety."
"Is that the reasoning behind people releasing these animals into the wild or is it simply that they kept them as pets and just abandoned them because they couldn't care for them?" "We don't know and are still speculating about the origin of these animals."
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"Whatever it was, it was crazy, it was irresponsible and it should never have been done."
RZSS A lynx in a cage. It's dark and a spotlight illuminates the animals RZSS
The first two lynxes were trapped on Thursday
Police Scotland said investigations were continuing to establish the full circumstances of how the four lynxes ended up in the area.
A spokesman said: "We continue to ask people not to travel to the area, particularly in the current weather conditions."
"Further investigations will continue in the forest, involving officers and specialist animal experts."
Police previously said investigations suggested the two lynx releases were linked. The two animals captured on Thursday have been confirmed to be Eurasian lynxes, but their sex has not yet been confirmed.
Several conservation groups have campaigned for the feral cats to be reintroduced to Scotland.
Among those backing the idea, the Mammal Society has suggested that wildlife could be behind the comeback.
The organisation said it would like to see a healthy and sustainable population of wild lynx thriving in the UK and that reintroducing the species could "redress ecosystem imbalances and restore biodiversity to our depleted landscapes".
The company said it understood the "disappointment" that the illegal re-introduction could lead to, but there was "no shortcut" to achieving its goal. "Illegal release is irresponsible and not a solution," he said.
What are lynxes? Getty Images A lynx yawns. Its mouth is wide open, showing its teeth. It was photographed against a snowy background. Getty Images
There are four species of lynx. The Eurasian lynx is the largest of the lynxes.
Adults are about the size of a Labrador.
The lynx disappeared from Britain 500 to 1,000 years ago, but similar species still exist in continental Europe, Russia and Asia.
In the wild, it hunts roe deer, young red deer, and also rabbits and hares.
A license under the Dangerous Animals Act is required to own a lynx. Highland Local Council said no facilities in the area had applied for or were operating under a Dangerous Wildlife Act (DWA) licence.
Are lynxes dangerous? The International Fund for Animal Welfare says lynxes are mostly active at night and generally avoid people.
However, they warn that lynxes, like other wild animals, can attack in self-defence if provoked.
The WWF says attacks on livestock, such as sheep, are "much less common than previously thought". Where were they spotted? Getty Images A frozen body of water is covered in forests and snow-capped mountains. Getty Images
Insh Marshes near Kingussie
It is a landscape of rolling hills, commercial forests and native woodlands on the edge of some of the highest mountains in the Cairngorms.
Insh Marshes, near Kingussie, is an RSPB Scotland reserve where beavers have recently been released under licence.
Kingussie and the nearby village of Newtonmore are home to a combined population of around 1,500 people.
The region has suffered heavy snowfall in recent days. The Cairngorms National Park is the largest in the UK. It is twice the size of the Lake District National Park.
Other animals that were once native to Scotland have been released illegally.
These include wild boars and beavers.
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