Police are investigating the release of two lynx in the Highlands and have urged the public not to approach the wild cats.
The alarm was raised at about 16:20 when they were spotted in the Drumguish area, near to Kingussie.
Specially trained staff from the Highland Wildlife Park are assisting officers to trace the animals.
The Cairngorms National Park Authority said they were shy and a “low risk” to humans but added they should not be approached.
A spokesperson said: “We condemn the illegal release of wild animals in the strongest possible terms and we are also concerned for the welfare of the lynx that have been released.”
The authority also said people should not attend the area and appealed to anyone with information about the lynx to contact police.
The wild cats were once native to Britain, but were driven to extinction 500 to 1,000 years ago.
But some conservation groups have been campaigning to have the wild cats reintroduced to Scotland.
Lynx to Scotland, a three-charity partnership working to restore lynx to the Scottish Highlands, said it had been made aware of the release.
Peter Cairns, executive director of Scotland: The Big Picture, one of the charities involved, said: “The Lynx to Scotland Project knows nothing of the origin of these two lynx, their history, health status, or who may have released them.
“We understand the frustration of all those who wish to see lynx restored to the Scottish landscape, but an illegal release is not the way to achieve that aim.”
Mr Cairns said the project had never supported or condoned illegal releases.
He added: “This is unwelcome and grossly irresponsible, but comes at the worst possible time, when stakeholders are engaging in good faith with productive discussions about the possibility of a responsibly managed and fully resourced legal reintroduction.”
Farmers’ union NFU Scotland previously voiced concerns about the impact of lynx on livestock.
