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An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi a’ bruidhinn mun lioncs. Tha e coltach gur e call nan coilltean a chuir às don lioncs ann an Alba. Bidh lioncsaichean ag ithe fèidh – earbaichean mar as trice. Nuair a dh’fhalbh na coilltean, dh’fhalbh na hearbaichean. Nuair a dh’fhalbh na hearbaichean, dh’fhalbh na lioncsaichean.  Ge-tà, anns an fhicheadamh linn, chaidh mòran choilltean a chur ann an Alba. Mar sin, a bheil an àrainneachd a-nise freagarrach airson an lioncs? Uill, tha e coltach gu bheil. Tha eòlaichean ag ràdh gum b’ urrainn ceithir cheud lioncs a bhith beò ann an coilltean na Gàidhealtachd.  Tha an lioncs a’ marbhadh earbaichean agus fèidh Sika. Tha sin a’ leigeil le craobhan òga fàs. Tha lioncsaichean math don àrainneachd. Ma thig iad air ais a dh’Alba, an cuir iad ainmhidhean Albannach ann an cunnart? Tha e coltach nach cuir. Tha iad cuideachd ag ithe sionnaich. Ach cha bhi iad idir a’ toirt ionnsaigh air daoine. Agus caoraich? Ann an Nirribhidh bidh lioncsaichean a’ marbhadh caoraich gu leòr. Ach bidh na caoraich ann an Nirribhidh a’ fuireach sna coilltean as t-samhradh. Cha bhi cìobairean a’ cumail sùil orra. Ann an dùthchannan eile, bidh caoraich anns a’ mhonadh no ann am pàircean. Anns na dùthchannan sin, chan eil lioncsaichean cho trom air na caoraich idir. Anns an Eilbheis, tha iad a’ tuigsinn mar a tha an lioncs a’ sealg. Bidh fios aig tuathanaich na h-Eilbheis dè nì iad airson an caoraich a chumail sàbhailte. Agus ’s e glè bheag de chaoraich a tha lioncsaichean a’ marbhadh anns an Eilbheis a-nise. Anns na Beanntan Harz anns a’ Ghearmailt tha mòran lioncsaichean a’ fuireach. Thathar a’ cleachdadh ìomhaigh an lioncs airson luchd-turais a thàladh ann. Dh’fhaodadh an aon rud tachairt an seo. ’S e mac an duine a chuir às don lioncs ann an Alba. Dh’fhaodadh mac an duine a thoirt air ais.

Last week I was talking about the lynx. It appears that it was the loss of the forests that put paid to the lynx in Scotland. Lynx eat deer – roe deer most commonly. When the forests went, the roe deer went. When the roe deer went, the lynxes went. However, in the Twentieth Century, many forests were planted in Scotland. Thus, is the environment now suitable for the lynx? Well, it appears it is. Experts say that four hundred lynx could live in the forests of the Highlands. The lynx kill roe deer and Sika deer. That allows young trees to grow. Lynx are good for the environment. If they return to Scotland, will they put Scottish animals in danger? It appears not. They also eat foxes. But they never attack humans. And sheep? In Norway lynx kill a lot of sheep. But the sheep in Norway stay in the forests in summer. Shepherds do not look after them. In other countries, sheep are on the open hill or in large fields. In those countries, lynx do not kill so many sheep at all. In Switzerland, they understand how lynx hunt. Swiss farmers know what to do to keep their sheep safe. And lynx now kill very few sheep in Switzerland. In the Harz Mountains in Germany live many lynx. The image of the lynx is used to attract tourists there. The same thing could happen in Scotland. It’s people that caused the extinction of the lynx in Scotland. People could bring it back.