Hi everyone,

“Nature is in crisis in the UK now" - Professor Richard Gregory, head of monitoring conservation science at the RSPB, as quoted in The Independent. 

The UK continually records some of the lowest levels of biodiversity across the globe. The State of Nature report 2019 found that over the long term, "63% of UK priority species showed a strong or moderate decrease in abundance", reflecting an earlier finding that despite all of the talk and targets set to maintain and increase biodiversity, nothing is actually being done and things continue to get worse.

The RSPB have found that the UK failed on 17 out of 20 biodiversity targets agreed to 10 years ago, resulting in a 'lost decade for nature'. Decisive action needs to be taken, and it needs to be taken now.

Reintroducing lynx is part of the bigger picture. Keystone species, like the lynx, have major roles to play in their ecosystems. Keystone species can bring harmony to their ecosystems. When a keystone species is eradicated, its function in its ecosystem still remains but is now unfulfilled. Because they are so integral, the loss of a keystone species can have a drastic impact on the ecosystem, and its health and biodiversity.

In the UK, we can see evidence of this. With the loss of lynx, wolves and beers, herbivore numbers (like deer) have exploded to unsustainable highs, damaging the very habitats they themselves call home. An imbalance exists and is causing major disruption.

A trial lynx reintroduction would be one step of many towards restoring our natural environments. Lynx can help to restore balance in their native ecosystems and create healthier habitats, therefore increasing biodiversity. 

Please continue to share this petition far and wide. It really has never been more important that we begin to fix our natural habitats. Thank you all so much for the continued support.

Many thanks,
The Lynx UK Trust team