Two more lynx have been spotted in the Scottish Highlands (Image: PA)
Two more lynx sightings have been reported in the Scottish Highlands hours after a pair of the wild cats was caught in Scotland.
Police Scotland received reports that the animals had been spotted in the Dell of Killiehuntly area near Kingussie at about 7.10am on Friday (January 10).
Officers said they believe the sighting is linked to the release of two lynx seen in the same area on Wednesday. Those overnight on Thursday.
Members of the public have been warned not to approach the animals and police said they are working with specially trained personnel to capture them.
David Field, Chief Executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), said humane traps are being set in the area to catch the animals.
He said: “Two more lynx have been sighted in the same Cairngorms location where we successfully captured a pair yesterday.”
The public have been warned not to go near the animals (file photo) (Image: Getty)
Mr Field added that further traps are being baited in the area and the hope is the animals will be safely and humanely captured before being taken to Edinburgh Zoo to join the two captured yesterday.
Officers from and Cairngorm National Park Authority rangers are also involved in the search for the beasts.
RZSS’s Chief Exec said: “The public are being asked to steer clear of the area as a build-up of people could disturb the animals and hamper efforts on the ground.”
He added that RZSS condemns the illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms and urged anyone with information on the release of these lynx to contact Police Scotland.
Police said inquiries are continuing to establish the full circumstances of the sighting.
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The lynx have been spotted in the Cairngorms (Image: Getty)
Detectives are appealing to anyone who saw anything in the area, or has any information, to call 101, quoting incident number 0387 of Friday January 10.
The “illegal release” of the animals into the wild has been condemned by wildlife groups, which have said it is very unlikely the animals can survive in the wild.
Speaking after the capture of the two lynx on Thursday, Mr Field said: “It was a highly irresponsible act and it is very unlikely they would have survived in the wild due to a lack of adequate preparation.
“Their abandonment was reckless to the animals, public, the community and nature.”
Lynx to Scotland, a project which wants to return the species to the Highlands, also condemned the illegal release.
Peter Cairns, executive director of SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, one of the three charities involved in the project, said it was “excellent news” the first two lynx had been captured quickly and are safe.
He added: “The Lynx to Scotland project is working to secure the return of Lynx to the Scottish Highlands, but irresponsible and illegal releases such as this are simply counter-productive.”
The lynx captured on Thursday were taken by RZSS to quarantine facilities at the Highland Wildlife Park in the Cairngorms, with the animals due to be transferred to Edinburgh Zoo, where their health and welfare will be assessed.
David Barclay, manager of the RZSS Saving Wildcats team, said that in the long term the creatures may be rehomed in Highland Wildlife Park, which is already home to two northern lynx named Switch and Neon.