Etusivu European lynx

European lynx

Lynx lynx

The European lynx is the only naturally occurring feline in Finland. It is most at home in coniferous forests, but sometimes lynxes dare to come to the edges of areas inhabited by people. Often, paw prints in the snow are the only trace of this feline predator, which mostly moves around in the dark. The lynx creeps up to its prey and captures it with a series of quick leaps.

The spots on a lynx vary individually and seasonally. The lynx’s winter coat is greyer and more evenly coloured. Lynxes are solitary animals, except for during the mating season at the end of winter. They have their kittens in the spring and the mother cares for them until the following winter.

The lynx is a rare sight in nature because it is an animal that hides and mostly moves around in the dark. One sign of the lynx’s presence is its paw prints, which stand out distinctly in snow.

Conservation

Nowadays, lynx are found all over Finland, but in the mid-20th century the species was close to extinction because of excessive hunting. The species was protected in 1962, after which numbers started to grow significantly. In 2018 the lynx population was estimated at under 2,000 and declining. Hunting of fertile female lynx, in particular, has affected numbers. Hunting licences are granted in a regulated way for the purposes of gamekeeping.

This species and the individuals living in Korkeasaari Zoo are part of an ex-situ conservation programme by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria EAZA, known as the EEP. The aim of the EEP is to maintain a healthy zoo population of the species.

Korpi

EAZA Ex-situ Programme