COPS investigating the “illegal release” of two lynx have warned the public to not approach the wild cats.
It comes after reports the pair of apex predators were spotted in Drumguish, near Kingussie, in the Scottish Highlands.
Specially trained staff from the Highland Wildlife Park were called to assist officers in tracing the animals last night.
They have confirmed the Lynxes have not escaped from the park and instead may have been abandoned illegally.
Now animal welfare experts have confirmed the cats were trapped overnight and are now being cared for in quarantine facilities at Highland Wildlife Park before being transferred to Edinburgh Zoo.
The public were advised to call 101 if they see the cats.
A Police Scotland spokesperson previously said: “Two lynx have been spotted in the Drumguish area near to Kingussie.
“Specially trained staff from Highland Wildlife Park are assisting officers to trace them.
“Do not approach the lynx or attend the area, but instead call police via 101. Quote inc no 2179/08/01/25 when calling.”
The Cairngorms National Park Authority said they were shy and a “low risk” to humans but added they should not be approached.
A spokesperson said: “We condemn the illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms and we are also concerned for the welfare of the lynx that have been released.”
The authority also said people should not attend the area and appealed to anyone with information about the lynx to contact police.
The wild cats were once native to Britain, but were driven to extinction 500 to 1,000 years ago.
Plans to release the Eurasian lynx into a 147-square-mile area of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Loch Lomond were previously considered by NatureScot.
Some conservation groups have been recently campaigning to have the wild cats reintroduced to Scotland.
Lynx to Scotland, a three-charity partnership working to restore lynx to the Scottish Highlands, said it had been made aware of the release.
Peter Cairns, executive director of Scotland: The Big Picture, one of the charities involved, told the BBC: “The Lynx to Scotland Project knows nothing of the origin of these two lynx, their history, health status, or who may have released them.
“We understand the frustration of all those who wish to see lynx restored to the Scottish landscape, but an illegal release is not the way to achieve that aim.”
Mr Cairns said the project had never supported or condoned illegal releases.
He said the reports of an illegal release were “unwelcome and grossly irresponsible”.
Although Lynxes are considered “big cats” they are much smaller than a leopard or panther.
They are medium-sized cats that are similar in size to a Labrador, and the largest species are no bigger than a large dog breed.
There are many claims of big cat sightings across the UK each year although hard evidence of their existence remains elusive.
And while over the years, debate has raged over whether grainy pictures and videos can conclusively prove that big beasts are on the prowl, experts insist they are lurking in our countryside.
Leading wildcat expert Rick Minter says he has personally heard of 1,400 credible accounts of big cats in the UK over the last decade, but believes they are the “tip of the iceberg” as most go unreported.
