transport: British big cats

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

In British folklore and urban legend, British big cats refers to the subject of reported sightings of non-native, wild big cats in the United Kingdom. Many of these creatures have been described as "panthers", "pumas", or "black cats". There have been rare isolated incidents of recovered individual animals, often medium-sized species like the Eurasian lynx, although in one 1980 case, a puma was captured alive in Scotland. These are generally believed to have been escaped or released exotic pets that were held illegally, possibly released after the animals became too difficult to manage or after the introduction of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. The existence of a population of "true b…

Evidence: 39 • authority: 72

The bobcat (Lynx rufus), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus Lynx. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2002, due to its wide distribution and large population. Although it has been hunted extensively both for sport and fur, populations have proven stable, though declining in some areas. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby (or "bobbed") tail, from which it derives its name. It reaches a total length (including the tail) of up to…

Evidence: 28 • authority: 92

Reestablishment and Conservation Implications of the Milu Deer Population in Poyang Lake.. Reintroduction has been recognized as a vital approach to protecting and restoring wild populations of rare and endangered species. Although numerous reintroduction programs have been launched worldwide, in-depth studies on population establishment, dynamics, distribution patterns, and challenges remain limited. The Milu ( Elaphurus davidianus ), endemic to China and once declared Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN, has become one of the most successful examples of global endangered species reintroduction since the initiation of its recovery program in 1985. Focusing on the reintroduction project in the…

Evidence: 28 • authority: 88

Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Volyn Oblast. Materials on the registration of the Eurasian lynx in the region for 1958–2024 have been collected and summarized. A total of 50 observations (31 of them for the period 2001–2024) are known about it at different times of the year (most often in autumn and winter). Most of the registrations are in the north-eastern part of the region. After analysing the lynx observation materials collected over the last 25 years, its total population in the region is estimated at 14–19 individuals. There are at least three known territories of females where they have been recorded with young individuals. The current range of the lynx almost completely coincides wit…

Evidence: 28 • authority: 88

A retrospective study of mortality in Eurasian lynx (<i>Lynx lynx</i>) in UK zoos. IUCN currently classifies the Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ) as “Least Concern,” however, across its six to nine subspecies, some isolated populations are classified as “Endangered” or “Critically Endangered.” Despite this and the species’ relative ubiquity in European zoos, a retrospective mortality study of a captive population has not previously been performed. By analyzing necropsy reports, animal records, and the European studbook, we were able to ascertain a cause of death for 38 (73%) of the 52 recorded lynx deaths in UK zoos during the study period (January 1, 2000 to November 1, 2015). “Culling” as part…

Evidence: 24 • authority: 72

The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus Lynx. It is widely distributed from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It inhabits temperate and boreal forests up to an elevation of 5,500 m (18,000 ft). Despite its wide distribution, it is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and depletion of prey.

Evidence: 22 • authority: 92

Does re-wilding contribute to biodiversity conservation in Mediterranean cultural landscapes?. Debate has arisen on the use of "re-wilding" to promote biodiversity conservation. We contend that approaches aiming for strict non-intervention to restore "wilderness" may be conceptually inconsistent when applied to human-shaped landscapes. Several ecosystems of high biodiversity value, often misclassified as "pristine" have been shaped over millennia of human use, a context rarely acknowledged by re-wilding approaches. Rural abandonment in Europe is seen as an opportunity to promote biodiversity conservation through "re-wilding", but management neglect may favor forest species at the expense of…

Evidence: 22 • authority: 72

This is a list of wild British Isles species extinct in the Holocene that covers extinctions from the Holocene epoch, a geologic epoch that began about 11,650 years before present (about 9700 BCE) and continues to the present day. The British Isles includes the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. During much of the Neogene and Pleistocene, the British Isles were connected to mainland Europe by a land bridge called Doggerland. Changing glacial and interglacial climates repeatedly altered which species could survive there. The climate began to warm again around 9700 BCE, entering the present climatic period known as the Holocene. Animals repopulated Britain and Ireland. Rising sea levels af…

Evidence: 22 • authority: 72

The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) or Canadian lynx is one of the four living species in the genus Lynx. It is a medium-sized wild cat characterized by long, dense fur, triangular ears with black tufts at the tips, and broad, snowshoe-like paws. Its hindlimbs are longer than the forelimbs, so its back slopes downward to the front. The Canada lynx stands 48–56 cm (19–22 in) tall at the shoulder and weighs between 5 and 17 kg (11 and 37 lb). It is a good swimmer and an agile climber. The Canada lynx was first described by Robert Kerr in 1792. Three subspecies have been proposed, but their validity is doubted; it is mostly considered a monotypic species. It ranges across Alaska, Canada and nort…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, and as the European starling in North America, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long and has glossy black plumage with a metallic sheen, which is speckled with white at some times of the year. The legs are pink and the bill is black in winter and yellow in summer; young birds have browner plumage than the adults. Its gift for mimicry has been noted in literature including the Mabinogion and the works of Pliny the Elder and William Shakespeare. The common starling has about 12 subspecies breeding in open habitats across its native…

Evidence: — • authority: 92

Ethical Considerations for Wildlife Reintroductions and Rewilding.. The recovery of many populations of large carnivores and herbivores in major parts of Europe and North America offers ecosystem services and opportunities for sustainable utilization of wildlife. Examples of services are hunting, meat, and skin, along with less invasive utilization such as ecotourism and wildlife spotting. An increasing number of studies also point out the ecosystem function, landscape engineering, and cascading effects of wildlife as values for human existence, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem resilience. Within this framework, the concept of rewilding has emerged as a means to add to the wildernes…

Evidence: — • authority: 92

Avian influenza overview March-June 2025.. Between 8 March and 6 June 2025, 365 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus detections were reported in domestic (167) and wild (198) birds across 24 countries in Europe. HPAI A(H5N1) virus detections were predominant and mainly located in western, central and south-eastern Europe. Most detections in wild birds concerned waterfowl, particularly swans and geese, but also gulls were involved. Poultry establishments, particularly domestic ducks and chickens, continued to be affected in large numbers in Hungary and Poland. In mammals, HPAI A(H5N1) and A(H5N5) virus detections were reported in a domestic cat, red foxes, Eurasian otters and…