The lynx is one of the most secretive predators. These animals occur in low densities, lead a nocturnal lifestyle and avoid humans. Their populations are relatively widely distributed in Eurasia. Telemetry studies of this species conducted in the last few decades in areas stretching from the Balkans and Turkey in the south to Scandinavia in the north of Europe provide information about the ecology of this species.

Survival of lynx in the anthropogenic landscape of Europe was investigated by an international team of researchers, including scientists from the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Białowieża and the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków. They published the conclusions of their research in the journal "Conservation Biology".

The scientists collected data from 21 areas where 681 lynx (fitted with telemetry collars) were tracked. The total tracking time is 1,052 years. Experts analysed the survival of these animals and the causes of death depending on the sex, population management, season, and degree of environmental transformation.

Theoretically, lynx can live to be a dozen or so years old (18 years for females and 15 years for males). However, new research shows that most die at a relatively young age.

'The average age of males in hunted populations was only 2.6 years. In protected populations it was slightly longer - 2.7 years. Females had a slightly higher survival rate and lived to an average age of 3.4 years in hunted populations, and 4 years in protected populations. The mortality was highest in the winter, which overlaps with the hunting season in populations subject to hunting. In hunted populations, the probability of death in winter was three times higher than in autumn, and in protected populations - 1.7 times higher', reports the study co-author, Professor Rafał Kowalczyk from the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, quoted in a press release sent to PAP.

The level of annual mortality in protected and hunter-managed populations was similar. It amounted to 8-9 percent.

The researchers analysed the causes and factors responsible for lynx mortality.

The most important cause of lynx mortality was illegal killing, which accounted for 34 percent of cases. The next causes were hunting (26 percent), natural factors (20 percent) and road accidents (7 percent). In 13 percent of cases, the cause of death could not be determined.

'If we take into account protected populations only, illegal killing was responsible for as much as 48 percent of mortality of these cats. In protected populations, the level of mortality due to poaching was comparable to the level of mortality due to hunting in hunter-managed populations', the authors of the study report.

The survival rate of lynx decreased with the higher the level of landscape transformation by humans, both on the scale of the distribution area of individual populations and in the individual lynx territories. Environments with little human interference and limited infrastructure offer lynx the best chances for survival.

'This study shows that humans are to the greatest extent responsible for the mortality of lynxes. Not only because of the illegal killing of these predators, which we have also observed in Poland in recent years, but also because of the transformation and fragmentation of environments, which increases the risk of lynx mortality. In addition, protection does not prevent the illegal killing of lynxes. Perhaps for this reason, despite 30 years of protection of this species in our country, its distribution and numbers have not changed much, they even decreased. This shows how sensitive a species the lynx is, always balancing on the edge of life and death', Kowalczyk emphasises.

He adds that 'it is necessary to take action to reduce the level of illegal killing of lynx, by increasing the detectability of these cases and severely punishing the perpetrators'. (PAP)

PAP - Science in Poland

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