“There absolutely is no substitute for just seeing it but also smelling it, feeling it, hearing it. You can read all the books and watch all the films you like but there is absolutely no substitute for seeing it in the flesh.”

The mysterious appearance of seemingly tame lynx in the Highlands of Scotland raised questions about who released them and why. Scotland’s native Eurasian lynx are believed to have suffered extinction more than 500 years ago.

In this episode Ben Goldsmith is joined by Pete Cairns of Scotland: The Big Picture, one of three charities involved in plans to legitimately return lynx to the Highlands. He explains why people might have released the four animals illegally.

Ben Goldsmith is a British financier and rewilding enthusiast. Join him as he speaks to people from all over the world who champion nature and are helping to restore habitats and wildlife to some of the most nature depleted parts of our planet.

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Text Rewilding the World here. Let us know what you think of the podcast and if there are any rewilding projects you would love Ben to feature in future episodes.

The Conservation Collective support locally-led environmental Foundations around the world. Together we'll protect and restore the wild places we know and love.