The possibility of reintroducing lynx to Scotland will be put to communities in the Highlands and Moray later this month.

The Lynx to Scotland Partnership say the region offers good habitat for the species with enough woodland and their favoured prey, roe deer to support up to 250 cats.

However, lynx are also known to take sheep and concerns have been voiced about their potential return by farmers and crofters.

Last year First Minister John Swinney ruled out the reintroduction of the species.

The consultation comes a year after four lynx were illegally released into the Cairngorms National Park.

They were captured after several days on the run. One of the lynx died but the other three were eventually rehomed at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie.

The Lynx to Scotland Partnership condemned the way the animals were released, describing it as “illegal and irresponsible”.

Police Scotland said inquiries into the incident were continuing.

Lynx – which are elusive, forest dwellers about the size of a labrador dog – are thought to have died out in Scotland during the Middle Ages due to hunting and habitat loss.

Since 2020 the Lynx to Scotland Partnership has been assessing whether and how they could be brought back.

The partnership – involving the charities Trees for Life, Scotland: The Big Picture and The Lifescape Project – say reintroduction would have to be carefully managed and broadly accepted by the public.

They say they are going to contact 89,000 households ahead of the first of 42 planned public information sessions later this month.

They say any reintroduction would begin with a small number of lynx, with up to 20 being released gradually over several years.

Long-term monitoring via tracking collars and camera traps would be key, to track any negative impacts such as sheep predation, alongside benefits such as gains for biodiversity and tourism revenue.

Lisa Chilton chief executive of Scotland: The Big Picture said that Scotland had lost more of its native wildlife than almost any other country.

“Reintroducing lynx could help restore balance and breathe new life into Highland and Moray landscapes, but it would be essential to do this in a considered, responsible way that addresses questions and concerns”, she said.

Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life, said that elsewhere in Europe lynx do occasionally prey on sheep, especially when they are in or near woodland.

“Crofters and farmers are absolutely right to be concerned”, he said.

“We have to work with them to figure out, if lynx were to return to Scotland, how we could manage any problems really well so that farmers and crofters don’t suffer.”

Any reintroduction would require a licence from NatureScot.

However First Minister John Swinney ruled out any official reintroduction of lynx or any other large predator to Scotland under his government.

He said that the introduction of other species such as white-tailed sea eagles had led to “unintended consequences”.

And he described the illegal lynx release last January as “reckless” and “posed a serious risk to the welfare of those animals released”.