The Missing Lynx Project Individual Questionnaire

Before completing this questionnaire, we encourage you to learn more about The Missing Lynx Project by browsing our website www.missinglynxproject.org.uk or attending an event. This could be the exhibition, or one of the community workshops or focus groups.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Lynx are cats, similar to the size of a slim Labrador dog, with distinctive tufted ears and short tails. They are native to Britain and lived here for thousands of years. As human presence increased, many animals and plants began to decline and along with many other species we lost lynx from our landscapes.  By the middle of the 20th century lynx had also been lost from much of Europe. Lynx reintroductions in Europe began in Germany and Switzerland in the 1970s. During the subsequent 50 years reintroduction projects helped re-establish populations of lynx in most European countries. The success of these reintroductions offers a blueprint for a potential reintroduction of lynx in Britain.

 (C) Berndt Fischer

The Missing Lynx Project is a partnership between The Lifescape Project, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, and the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts. It aims to provide a range of opportunities to listen and explore people’s thoughts and opinions around bringing lynx back, and offers different ways for people to engage, including via questionnaires and through interviews, workshops and focus groups.

Our research has shown that lynx released into Northumberland could grow into a healthy population. The area where lynx would be predicted to live covers north-west Northumberland, the edge of Cumbria and into the bordering areas of southern Scotland. The project is sharing these results with interest groups and communities local to these locations and listening to people’s opinions. The partnership would support a reintroduction if the conditions are right - if there is an area in Britain where lynx can live, if it’s practically possible and if local people are accepting of the animal back in the landscape. This project is exploring just that.   

Before completing this questionnaire, we encourage you to learn more about The Missing Lynx Project by browsing our website www.missinglynxproject.org.uk or attending an event. This could be the exhibition, or one of the community workshops or focus groups.

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION

This questionnaire is being distributed for the purpose of The Missing Lynx Project’s engagement and consultation with people. The objective of this questionnaire will help us is to understand attitudes and values, and the anticipated impacts of a potential lynx reintroduction into Britain.

We are looking for individuals living in Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to complete this questionnaire, and would like to invite you to take part.  You do not need any knowledge of the subject area, but it is recommended that you visit our website www.missinglynxproject.org.uk or attend a social engagement activity before completing the questionnaire. Individuals 15 years of age and younger should not complete this questionnaire unless parental consent, guidance and presence is given for children between the ages of 8 – 15 years old. 

This questionnaire has three main sections and should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. It involves 22 questions on information about yourself, knowledge on lynx, and attitudes towards lynx and lynx reintroduction in Britain.

Participation in this study is voluntary and you can leave the questionnaire at any time by clicking the ‘x’ button in the top right of the screen and your data will not be collected.

Your answers to the completed questionnaire will remain anonymous. The data collected will be used in a detailed analysis to investigate attitudes and values, motivations and expectations, and the anticipated impacts of a potential lynx reintroduction. The anonymous data will be stored in a password-protected folder and uploaded to a data repository. This research was approved by The Lifescape Project’s Research and Ethics committee (Reference LPREC25/03/24). There are no foreseeable risks or disadvantages to participating in this questionnaire. The benefits are to assist in understanding whether a lynx reintroduction into Britain is something people would like to see.

If you would like a copy of this information or have any questions about the questionnaire, please contact The Missing Lynx Project's Social Science Officer - Faye Whiley at info@missinglynxproject.org.uk

For answers to questions regarding a particular matter about the questionnaire or participants’ rights, or to register a complaint, please contact the Project Manager of The Missing Lynx Project – Dr Deborah Brady at Deborah.brady@lifescapeproject.org

INFORMED CONSENT

Please only complete this questionnaire if you agree to the following statements:

• I confirm I have read and understood the information above.
• I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to stop completing the questionnaire and withdraw at any time without giving a reason. 

• I understand that anonymised responses will be uploaded to an online data bank for storing interview answers.

• I agree to take part in the above research project.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information and for your consideration of taking part in this study.