Two young lynx are the latest attraction at the Curraghs Wildlife Park.
The female Northern Eurasian lynx have arrived from the Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland.
The Curragh’s Wildlife Park was, at one time, home to group of four sibling lynx, but only one female remains, having outlived the others to a ripe old age of 19.
While the new arrivals can’t be housed with the elderly lynx, the one and two-year-olds, who are sisters, are in a new house and extension to the lynx area and will be within sight of her.
Kathleen Graham, park general manager, said the lynx were settling in well.
‘It’s great to have young lynx again and in a nice new house,’
she said.
‘They look great in the new part of the enclosure. Lynx are the largest cat species we have at the park.
‘We now have three separate pens to the enclosure, so we have the possibility, at a later date, of bringing in a breeding male. But we won’t make any plans while we still have our old girl around.’
Funds for the lynx house and enclosure were raised by the Friends of the Wildlife Park, while staff from Lloyds Bank in the Island helped to construct them.
David Cretney MLC, Member of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture with responsibility for the park, said:
‘I’d like to thank them for giving up their time to help us create yet another attraction for the park.
‘With the arrival of the silvery gibbons in July, there is a lot to see at the park this summer.’
Wild Northern Eurasian lynx are found in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Western Siberia and feed mainly on small prey such as rabbits, marmots and dormice.
The Curraghs Wildlife Park is open daily from 10am to 6pm (last admission 5pm) until the end of October.
The park hosts extra events during the school summer holidays.
For information about the park and to book tickets, visit www.curraghswildlifepark.im/