We are excited to announce the arrival of a family of Eurasian Lynx, a species that has never been a feature of the Island previously. The Lynx arrived just before lockdown and will be ready and waiting to greet their adoring public upon re-opening in December. The group consists of a mum and her two fully grown cubs, who will all be living together at the sanctuary.
Although an unlikely time to be bringing in new animals, The Wildheart Trust is committed to helping animals in desperate need of support; and when the team heard of three Lynx that were urgently in need of re-homing they stepped in.
Marc Fox, Head of Animals, says “We are extremely excited to be welcoming Lynx into the Wildheart family. They are amazing animals that epitomise the stealth and grace of an apex predator. Heralding from Northern climes they will be well suited to our climate and will be sure to be out playing and relaxing in the day ”
Although the three Lynx have made Island history by their arrival, there would have been lynx roaming the British Isles many years ago, along with other large predators such as wolves and bears. Unfortunately, with the expansion of human settlements and the overhunting of both the animals themselves and their prey base, such predators were soon wiped out by early medieval times.
COO, Lawrence Bates, said “It is an amazing project to be involved in, to be able to provide sanctuary for these three animals in desperate need is what the Trust is all about and to bring such an iconic predator onto the Island for the first time in history is such an amazing thing to do for our visitors, providing great opportunities for conservation education”
The animals had to be re-homed from another collection in the UK and will now find their forever home here with us.
Lifeline for Lynx Campaign – Can you help?
Mum Daenerys, her 4 year old son Tyrion and daughter Nymeria are now settling into an area which was lying dormant in the Sanctuary.
Although it’s a suitably sized habitat for lynx it needs to undergo a significant amount of development to make it fit for this particular species into the future.
Having been plummeted into another Lockdown period with no funds coming through the door, we’re now inviting people who value our work to help us to transform the space and cover the costs associated with caring for the lynx.
It’s always our privilege to be in a position to be able to respond to animals in need but we’re only able to do this, especially during these economically challenging times, thanks to the generous support we receive.
Here is a link to our Crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/lifeline-for-lynx along with the appeal video courtesy of Wildheart Trust trustee, Chris Packham.
We would be eternally grateful for any donations or shares on social media.
Thank you.
