Cornish lynx kitten prepares for rewilding journey

Wild Planet Trust A young Carpathian lynx with dark markings and a light coloured pelt.Wild Planet Trust
The nine-month-old Carpathian lynx is joining Europe's Linking Lynx rewilding programme

A nine-month-old Carpathian lynx born at Newquay Zoo is starting her journey to be resettled into the wild, keepers say.

The female cub, the first UK-bred lynx to join the initiative, was due to enter a week-long quarantine next week before her transfer to Germany at the end of the month, staff said.

Following quarantine, the lynx will move to Zoo Karlsruhe in Germany, where she will undergo specialised training in hunting and survival skills within a semi-wild environment under the auspices of Europe's Linking Lynx programme.

Her release into the wild was anticipated for autumn, contingent on her progress, the zoo said.

Wild Planet Trust A young Carpathian lynx with dark markings and a light coloured pelt. She has extra black tufts on the tops of her ears, as compared to a domestic cat. She is lying on the floor of an enclosure in the sunshine with her eyes closed, seemingly sleeping.Wild Planet Trust
The young lynx could be released into the wild in the autumn

Dr Kathy Baker, research officer for the zoo's owners, the Wild Planet Trust, said: "This demonstrates how even smaller facilities like Newquay Zoo can make substantial contributions to international conservation initiatives.

"We've planned every detail to give her the best chance of thriving in the wild."

While the cub prepares for her journey, her parents, Kicsi and Onyx, remain on at Newquay Zoo and people can follow the lynx's progress on the zoo's social media channels.

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