RZSSA lynx captured near Kingussie in the Cairngorms National Park on Friday has died overnight, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has confirmed.
The wild cat was one of four, released illegally, which have been caught in the same area in recent days.
The animals were humanely captured in pairs in the Dell of Killiehuntly area.
The society said it was “reasonably confident” there were no other lynx on the loose in the area. Inquiries are continuing to find out how they came to be there.
After their capture, the animals were taken to the Highland Wildlife Park before being moved to Edinburgh Zoo where the surviving lynx will quarantine for 30 days.
Some conservation groups have been campaigning to have the wild cats reintroduced to Scotland.
Helen Senn, head of conservation at the RZSS, said: “Unfortunately overnight we’ve had the news that one of the lynx didnt make it.
“It was found dead this morning.”
She added that a full post mortem would be carried out.
Temperatures in the area had plunged to as low as -14C, she added.
Typically the average low in northern Scotland for this time of year is about 0.3C.
Ms Senn added that it was unclear why the wild cats had been released and said it was a matter for Police Scotland.
She speculated it was possibly an illegal attempt at rewilding, or the animals could have been abandoned by someone who did not have the resources to look after them.
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