DD Animal News: May 20, 2025: A 9-month-old lynx from Newquay Zoo is making conservation history. For the first time, a UK zoo-born lynx may be released into the wild—marking a major milestone in international conservation. The Carpathian lynx, born at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall in May 2024, recently traveled to a specialist site in Germany’s Black Forest as part of the prestigious Linking Lynx rewilding initiative.
If she succeeds, she will become the first UK-born zoo cat to live freely in the wild.
A Historic and Emotional First Step
The young lynx was carefully loaded into a crate and transported across Europe—an unusual move for a zoo-raised predator. After arriving at her 1,200-square-meter enclosure in Germany, she hesitated at the edge before finally stepping into the forest.
“I’m a big boy but I had a few tears in my eyes,” said John Meek, Curator of Plants and Animals at Newquay Zoo. “Nowadays, zoos are not here to keep animals in cages. They’re there for conservation. And this is it—conservation in action.”
Zoo-born animals are rarely selected for rewilding due to limited survival skills and habituation to humans. But this lynx stood out—and not just because of her healthy development.
A Crucial Link in Europe’s Conservation Chain
Her selection comes at a time when Europe’s rewilding efforts face a gender gap. The European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) urgently needed more female lynxes to strengthen wild populations.
“Basically I’m Tinder for the zoo-born lynx,” said Dina Gebhardt, EEP lynx-breeding coordinator, in an interview with The BBC. “Our nature is very fragmented… and this leads to inbreeding.”
Gebhardt oversees genetic matchmaking for conservation breeding and is working to create a viable lynx corridor across Europe’s Mountain ranges—from the Carpathians to the Alps and Dinaric region. The Newquay lynx’s role is to bring in new genetics and strengthen wild populations—if she can prove she’s ready.
“The goal is not only to keep the ex-situ population genetically diverse and healthy, but also to provide individuals to introduce into the wild,” Gebhardt said. “For that, we need scientifically led zoos that follow the Linking Lynx protocols conscientiously.”
From Cornwall to the Wild
Pending the results of her ongoing behavioral assessments and health checks, the lynx will remain under close supervision in a semi-wild facility where she can develop hunting skills and lose any dependency on human contact.
Dr. Kathy Baker of the Wild Planet Trust emphasized the impact of public support on making this possible:
“Every person who visits our zoos is directly contributing towards programmes like this that could help restore wildlife populations around the world,” she said. “Our mission is to help halt species decline—and this is a fantastic example of that in action.”
If all goes well, the lynx will join reintroduced populations in central Europe later this year. As deer populations rise and ecosystems face strain, top predators like the lynx play a vital role in restoring balance.
