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reintroduction of Lynx into Thetford Forest ?


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Think it'll go the same way as the planned reintroduction of the Sea Eagle on the Norfolk coast.

 

They say it's to help manage deer numbers??

 

So there's a hungry Lynx looking to snack....does it a) try to stalk, chase and kill a fit and agile deer b) nibble on someone's aged poodle or c) seek some fenced in lambs, piglets or game birds?

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Dog walking will never be the same again. :yes:


Think it'll go the same way as the planned reintroduction of the Sea Eagle on the Norfolk coast.

They say it's to help manage deer numbers??

So there's a hungry Lynx looking to snack....does it a) try to stalk, chase and kill a fit and agile deer b) nibble on someone's aged poodle or c) seek some fenced in lambs, piglets or game birds?

Got it in one. :good: I have no idea which planet these people are inhabiting.

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Lynx are fine in a remote area of Europe, not in a populated UK where, as Suffolkngood, states, their food won't need to be hunted as it can be picked up easily whilst

strolling through the nearest village. Just as ****** stupid as reintroducing wolves in Scotland. Do I laugh or cry? :no:

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There is a supposedly strict protocol for reintroductions and lynx will never tick the boxes. They need space that we just dont have in the UK. They would have to be so contained that they would never 'naturalise'.

 

If they want to chuffing reintroduce something why not research the feasibilty of burbot? They are only recently extirpated and are far less likely to result in negative outcomes.

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What's the problem, lots of species have been introduced into the wild without issue.

For example, Japanese knotweed, wild boar, muntjac deer, grey squirrels and signal crayfish.........

Before someone points out that lynx were once an indigenous species, I would argue that re-introducing a large carnivore in 2015 is very different to the ecological niche that it inhabited several hundred years ago, long before motorways, A roads and widespread human colonisation of the habitat.

They would either be killed on the roads, surreptitiously shot, or simply fail to thrive and die out, unless the proposed habitat was absolutely suitable. There is the question of livestock, and possibly human, attack.

Nice thought, but not in today's UK.

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They are probably already there.........

Impossible. Definitely not. No way.*

The whole idea isn't quite as daft as it may seem. Lynx are odd cats. They seem to heavily specialise on particular prey, depending on the area. Even when prey densities are low, they prefer to seek out their favoured delicacy than tackle something else. Populations in Switzerland seem to prefer chamois, those in Poland like red deer, some populations in Sweden prefer reindeer, while others stick to roe - even when there's overlap of prey species. It's not impossible that the lynx in this country could feed almost exclusively off one type of deer, and then supplement with that diet with another type of smaller deer, thus have no interest in sheep or poodles. They can also quite happily exist in much smaller home ranges. Their max is about 450 km sq, but have been recorded in areas as small as 30km sq.

 

There is also a EU directive that requires countries to actively pursue a programme of reintroducing species that have been extinct through human conflict, where it's appropriate. It seems a bit extreme to take that back 1,500 years, but there we go!

 

They do have almost Lazarus-like abilities to come back from the brink, if the population takes hold they could well flourish - especially in the absence of wolves - which could mean deer numbers get hit hard. It's not inconceivable that their numbers might need to be managed by responsible, efficient members of the shooting community ;)

 

Anyway, this is the LynxUK trying to force Natural England's hand. They've been in talks with NE for months now about trying to get the licenses for the reintroduction, they've had habitat assessments ready and completed nothing's really happened. Suddenly it all gets kick-started a month or so after beavers won the right to stay based on overwhelming public support? call me cynical, but the timing can't be a coincidence. Personally, I think it'd be a giggle, but it's not my sheep that would be eaten if it did all go wrong! If it all went as LynxUK imagine, it could be brilliant. If it doesn't, Natural England are going to have a lot of claims for compensation!

 

*there is also definitely not a freezer in a laboratory with the remains of a shot lynx that had no genetic passport, no connection with a zoo, yet had apparently been living quite happily without anyone knowing about it. No such event has happened.

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I doubt if lynx will be much of a factor in game populations. Here in N. Canada. they live on hares and rabbits, a few birds and such.They like dense cover so I doubt if they would be anywhere near the grouse or pheasants. I have never heard of one taking anything bigger than a beaver and that was a young beaver. People live in Lynx country for years and never see one.

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Impossible. Definitely not. No way.*

The whole idea isn't quite as daft as it may seem. Lynx are odd cats. They seem to heavily specialise on particular prey, depending on the area. Even when prey densities are low, they prefer to seek out their favoured delicacy than tackle something else. Populations in Switzerland seem to prefer chamois, those in Poland like red deer, some populations in Sweden prefer reindeer, while others stick to roe - even when there's overlap of prey species. It's not impossible that the lynx in this country could feed almost exclusively off one type of deer, and then supplement with that diet with another type of smaller deer, thus have no interest in sheep or poodles. They can also quite happily exist in much smaller home ranges. Their max is about 450 km sq, but have been recorded in areas as small as 30km sq.

 

There is also a EU directive that requires countries to actively pursue a programme of reintroducing species that have been extinct through human conflict, where it's appropriate. It seems a bit extreme to take that back 1,500 years, but there we go!

 

They do have almost Lazarus-like abilities to come back from the brink, if the population takes hold they could well flourish - especially in the absence of wolves - which could mean deer numbers get hit hard. It's not inconceivable that their numbers might need to be managed by responsible, efficient members of the shooting community ;)

 

Anyway, this is the LynxUK trying to force Natural England's hand. They've been in talks with NE for months now about trying to get the licenses for the reintroduction, they've had habitat assessments ready and completed nothing's really happened. Suddenly it all gets kick-started a month or so after beavers won the right to stay based on overwhelming public support? call me cynical, but the timing can't be a coincidence. Personally, I think it'd be a giggle, but it's not my sheep that would be eaten if it did all go wrong! If it all went as LynxUK imagine, it could be brilliant. If it doesn't, Natural England are going to have a lot of claims for compensation!

 

*there is also definitely not a freezer in a laboratory with the remains of a shot lynx that had no genetic passport, no connection with a zoo, yet had apparently been living quite happily without anyone knowing about it. No such event has happened.

That's my point. If it works well no doubt NE will lap up the praise but if they spread like Muntjac and do start causing problems, like Buzzards, then will NE take responsiblity and compensate for damage caused?

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