John Swinney has been urged to reconsider his dismissal of the reintroduction of lynx to Scotland as a poll indicates a rise in public support.
Conservationists calling for a trial rewilding of the species north of the border said the First Minister appeared “out of step” with public opinion.
The Survation poll for the Lynx to Scotland Partnership asked 2,014 adults in Scotland if they support or oppose the legal reintroduction of lynx to the country.
A total of 61% of the respondents backed their return, up nine percentage points since the previous survey in 2020, with 13% opposed, down six percentage points.
The survey highlighted the renewed interest in the species after four lynx were illegally released near the Dell of Killiehuntly in the Highlands before being humanely captured.
One later died, with the remaining three said to be “doing well” by experts at Edinburgh Zoo where they were quarantined.
The three charities behind the partnership campaigning for the reintroduction trial – Scotland: The Big Picture, Trees for Life and The Lifescape Project – which condemned the illegal release, sent an open letter to Mr Swinney backed by 17 organisations, calling on him to reconsider comments made at the National Farmers Union Scotland annual general meeting earlier this month.
Mr Swinney told the meeting: “My government will not be reintroducing lynx, or indeed any other large carnivorous species in Scotland.”
The open letter calls on the First Minister to “go beyond supporting a narrow, negative perspective on species reintroductions, and to acknowledge their wider benefits for nature restoration, climate resilience and economic prosperity”.
The letter states: “Without well planned and managed species reintroductions, the natural processes they return to our landscape will continue to be absent and it will not be possible to restore and revitalise our nation’s hollowed out biodiversity.
“This means that your government’s target to regenerate biodiversity will not be met by 2045, if ever.”
It continues: “Other countries, often with more people and fewer resources than our own, manage to coexist with elephants, lions and tigers. Are we so exceptional in Scotland that we cannot manage to live with a medium-sized cat?”
Peter Cairns, head of rewilding at Scotland: The Big Picture, said: “Last month’s abandonment of lynx in the Cairngorms was reckless, and such acts are certainly not the way to achieve the return of a lost species to Scotland.
“But none of us can understand why this has led the First Minister to rush to turn his back on any proposal that could reintroduce this important species in a sensible and well-managed way.
“Considering the surging support for the return of lynx, and the efforts being made to ensure that this would be done properly in line with best practice, the First Minister appears out of step with public opinion, and we urge him to reconsider his position.”
Steve Micklewright, chief executive of Trees for Life, said: “This poll shows that growing numbers of Scots want to see lynx reintroduced and understand that the benefits of their return outweigh any problems they might cause.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government does not intend to reintroduce lynx or any other large carnivorous species into Scotland, because of the potential for negative impacts on farms and rural communities.”