72% of locals happy to see lynx reintroduced

A YEARLONG consultation has found that 72% of respondents support the reintroduction of lynx in Northumberland.

- DANIEL HALL

The Missing Lynx Project toured the North East early in the year, engaging with almost 10,000 visitors over 103 days.

The partnership between Northumberland Wildlife Trust, the Wildlife Trusts, and The Lifescape Project is exploring the reintroduction of the big cat into Kielder Forest.

The partnership believes that reintroducing the species, which is thought to have gone extinct around 1,300 years ago, can help rebuild a healthy natural world.

It is the second time such proposals have been mooted, with an earlier bid by the Lynx UK Trust rejected by the Government in 2018. In April last year, the plans were met with opposition by councillors in Northumberland who were concerned about the impact the project could have on the farming community.