![]() It is thought that if the survey and engagement campaign, called Lynx for Scotland, succeeds in providing enough public support, an application for a licence to release the first of up to 40 lynx into the wild could be made in about five years.Ī cluster of densely forested Highland estates in the Cairngorms, including estates owned by Povlsen and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve at Abernethy, are seen as the most likely sites for a pilot project. Their experience has simply strengthened our resolve.” “The Norwegians told us that to reintroduce predators into our country would be an absolute catastrophe. Martin Kennedy, the deputy vice-president of the NFUS, said: “Predation in Norway has reduced over the past decade – not because of fewer predators, but the fact that hill farmers have simply stopped keeping sheep. The National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS) said lynx were blamed for a fifth of those losses. The scheme faces heavy opposition from Scottish farmers, who cite the loss of about 20,000 sheep in Norway to its native predators, the wolverine, lynx, bear and wolf. A prerequisite for any discussion over lynx is we need to know the Scottish public are in support of this and would tolerate this.” “The question with a large predator is less about science and more about people’s attitudes, beliefs and priorities. There have been several studies to assess the ecological feasibility of bringing back lynx that’s the easy bit in many ways. Pete Cairns, the director of Scotland: The Big Picture, said: “Our role is to get the process moving, to pick up the baton in a meaningful way. In 2022, the Highlander was accepted as a championship breed in the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA).The lynx, Europe’s largest native cat, became extinct in northern Britain more than 500 years ago through habitat loss, hunting and persecution, but proposals by other rewilding advocates to reintroduce the species into the UK have foundered.Ĭonservationists believe the new project, run by the Vincent Wildlife Trust and Trees for Life, alongside campaigners at Scotland: The Big Picture, has a significant chance of success. TICA divides Highlanders into two varieties, under the names Highlander Shorthair (HGS) and simply Highlander (HG) for the longer-haired variation. Starting May 1, 2008, the breed was recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) for competition in the Preliminary New Breed class, and in 2016 was moved up to Advanced New Breed. The name Highlander was adopted in late 2005. The Highlander breed refinement began in 2004, to distinguish the breed better from its foundation stock, and to seek competition status in major breed registries. Although some cats are polydactyl, it is not part of the standard and it is a disqualification in the show ring. Bicolored cats are not allowed in the breed standard. The Highlander displays tabby/ lynx point or solid point coloration in various colors. Despite the "big-cat look", the Highlander is a human-oriented, friendly and playful cat, and very active and confident. Females can grow to between 10 and 14 pounds (4.5 and 6.4 kg), and the males between 15 and 20 pounds (6.8 and 9.1 kg). The body is substantial and very muscular. Highlanders have no known health problems, and are fond of water. Some have polydactyl paws but this is not a desired trait in the cats and have been proved to cause health problems in the knees and hips as the cats age. The eyes are wide-set and the ears are upright with a slight curl and a slight turn in the backward direction. The Highlander has a long sloping forehead and blunt muzzle with a very wide nose. They are bobtailed or short-tailed, have spotted or classic bullseye markings, mackerel and resemble the bobcat. ![]() The Highlander originated as a crossbreed of the experimental Desert Lynx breed and the Jungle Curl, to add the latter's curled ears to the former. The unique appearance of the Highlander comes from the deliberate cross between the Desert Lynx and the Jungle Curl breeds, also recently developed. The Highlander (also known as the Highlander Shorthair, and originally as the Highland Lynx) is a new breed of cat. TICA status is Advanced New Breed as of 2015, not yet eligible for championship competition in TICA. ![]()
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