The death of a lynx after it was illegally released in the Scottish Highlands was the sad end to a cruel prank that has yet to be punished but may have inadvertently served a purpose.
The wild cat, one of four found abandoned last week in freezing conditions in the Cairngorms National Park, possibly died of starvation. Certainly, no thought was given to the animals’ welfare by those who let them loose in the harsh environment.
But tragic as the outcome was, the incident has highlighted the folly of rogue rewilders, who take it upon themselves to disrupt what has become the natural order. And it is a setback for the wider rewilding movement which, try as it might, cannot disassociate itself from these acts of madness.