Swinney condemns illegal release of lynx in Highlands after animals captured - The Scottish First Minister said he is ’emormously grateful’ to everyone involved in safely trapping the two cats.

The charity has condemned the illegal release as "highly irresponsible" and said it was likely the lynx would have died in the wild. It said the pair appear to be in good health and have been named 'The Killiehuntly Two'.

A pair of lynx released in the Scottish Highlands in a "highly irresponsible act" have been captured and transferred to a zoo. Working with Police Scotland, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) safely trapped the big cats using live cameras and baited traps.

Two lynx which were illegally released in the Scottish Highlands have been successfully captured – with experts warning the creatures could have died if they had remained in the wild. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland announced its staff,

A spokesperson said: "We condemn the illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms and we are also concerned for the welfare of the lynx that have been released.

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) announced that the animals were at large within its grounds on Wednesday evening, saying it is suspected to be an 'illegal release'