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Wildlife campaigners lose High Court fight to free lynx in Kielder Forest after a judge rules they remain legally dangerous

Lynx have been absent from the British wild for more than 300 years, with a revised proposal seeking a three-year trial release of three animals from Sweden.
Lynx have been absent from the British wild for more than 300 years, with a revised proposal seeking a three-year trial release of three animals from Sweden.

Lynx UK Trust has lost its High Court challenge after a judge ruled that the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 still prohibits releasing lynx into Kielder Forest, Northumberland. The trust had argued that the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 allowed authorities to licence the release of animals that do not normally live in the UK, but the court rejected that reading.

The trust's original 2017 application sought to release six lynx over five years; a 2022 revision reduced this to three animals from Sweden on a three-year trial basis.

Natural England rejected the revised proposal, citing the Dangerous Wild Animals Act's prohibition on releasing certain formerly native mammals, including lynx.

Lynx have been absent from the British wild for more than 300 years; supporters argued they would help control deer populations and boost biodiversity.

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