Fiona Keating
3 January 2016
Britain's forests could be home to the lynx for the first time in 1,300 years. The Lynx Trust is asking for permission to carry out a five-year trial in forests located in Cumbria, Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute as well as Northumberland.
Two of the wildlife areas are marked out as suitable dens for three male and three female lynx. Wildlife experts report that the plan could be a considerable boost for Britain's ecology and economy.
Re-introducing big cats to the wild could help hard-hit rural areas by bringing in millions of pounds through eco-tourism revenue. "They promote forest regeneration. In the UK, forests are dying. There's no regeneration of younger trees coming through because of the massive overpopulation of deer," said Dr Paul O'Donoghue, who is co-ordinating the trial.
"Lynx will help to both control and move deer around, which will promote forest regeneration," he told Sky News.
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