Eurasian lynx reintroduction in Great Britain

[1] A literary reference to what are likely lynx in Cumbria, dating to between the seventh and the tenth centuries, occurs in the Welsh poem Dinogad's Smock, suggesting they may not have been extirpated from the island of Great Britain until the Middle Ages.

[1] A written record indicating the presence of a large cat in southern Scotland in the mid 18th century is noted by scholar Lee Raye, who tentatively argues that it may refer to a late-surviving population of lynx.

In the post-Apex predator period, red and roe deer populations have increased dramatically due to having no natural predators;[3] with excessive deer foraging leading to prevention of forest regeneration, the stripping of tree vegetation, and removing of the shrub layer in forests, which provides a habitat for birds such as nightingales and willow warblers.

Reintroducing large predators such as the lynx are seen by rewilding experts as a means of restoring balance in the ecosystem and keeping deer numbers under control.

[17] Scottish rewilding charity Trees for Life supports lynx reintroduction, claiming it would "restore ecological processes that have been missing for centuries, and provide a free and efficient deer management service".