PROTESTATIONS over the proposed reintroduction of lynx to the UK countryside have taken another twist, as conservationists question the impact the large predator might have on native red squirrels.

The UK Lynx Trust hope to initiate a five year trial period where six lynx will be reintroduced into Northumberland's Kielder Forest area and then monitored via their satellite collars.

Now, amidst cries from sheep farmers worried about their flocks and lamb crop, concerns have been raised over red squirrels, a protected species in the UK with designated reserves found in the Kielder forest, which might also feature high up on the lynx’s daily diet.

Doug Watkin, a semi-retired sheep farmer from Northumberland and a local supporter of the conservation of red squirrels raises his concern over the proposed project: “This part of Northumberland, Cumbria, the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway is crucial to the re-establishment, maintenance and survival of one of our most iconic species – the Red Squirrel.

"They are a listed and protected species and between 2001 and 2003, the Forestry Commission designated Keilder and Spadeadam forests as Red Squirrel reserves. Lynx predate on squirrels, it’s a known fact and any person assisting or promoting such an action is clearly promoting intentional damage to a protected species and as such is committing a prosecutable offence," said Mr Watkin.

He also added his concerns over how the lynx might impact on sheep farmers like himself: “We operate in a challenging enough environment already,” he noted, reflecting on the poor weather which afflicts the region and how adding lynx in to the equation would cause further stress for farmers.

That popular phrase “in hindsight” might resonate in this case, given the past evidence of lynx re-introduction in Norway and the consequential impact this had on sheep farmers. In 2015, the NFU met with 45 members of the Norwegian Farmer’s Union who delivered a worrying presentation about the severe impact of large carnivore predation on sheep farming in Norway at the time.

Although their reports included the level of predation from not only lynx but also bears and wolves, figures of sheep and lamb losses were notable. Large parts of Norway were zoned for species protection – and within these zones sheep farming was no longer possible. They also explained that officially recorded sheep losses to predators outwith these zones were very high – 3895 ewes and 19,671 lambs in 2014.

If the UK Lynx Trust are successful in piloting their project, one on-going concern will be their capacity to manage and monitor the movements of the lynx, and thus their ability to contain them within the Kielder Forest area.