😸 International Lynx Day 😸

On the occasion of International Lynx Day, we would like to share our knowledge from the field, namely:

❗️SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE REINTRODUCTION OF THIS SPECIES IN WESTERN POMERANIA, WE HAVE RECORDED THE BIRTH OF OVER 8️⃣0️⃣ LYNX KITTENS❗️

This means that between 2019 and 2023, at least 81 lynx were born in the wild. This is very important to us, as the development of the population primarily depends on the effective reproduction of lynx.

📌Don’t think that the 80 kittens we know about are all there are. We are unable to monitor all lynx telemetry-wise, and we cannot prove everything 100%, but we are convinced that in reality, this is only a part of the young lynx that were born in Western Pomerania. At the beginning of our efforts to reintroduce this species, we did not collar lynx born in the wild, and they are certainly reproducing, so more young lynxes have been born. We are certainly aware of these 81.

🐾In 2019, which was already the first year of the project, the first kittens were born.

🐾Two years later, for the first time, the lynx Hyża gave birth to 4 kittens; this was the first case recorded by us of such a number of kittens in one litter.

🐾And in 2023, as many as 4 females gave birth to 4 kittens each, and one to 5 kittens (this is a worldwide phenomenon).

🐾In 2023, we also recorded the first two cases of just under one-year-old females entering reproduction, who successfully raised their offspring.

❗️In summary: 2019 – 2 kittens, 2020 – 6, 2021 – 17, 2022 – 25, 2023 – 31❗️

🐱This year, the kitten season is ongoing, and we will inform you of its results after obtaining the relevant information.

Of course, not all of the kittens survived, but today is not the time for sad information, only for positive ones.

📌Our program has a real impact on increasing the number of lynxes not only in Poland but throughout Europe. In the report submitted to the European Commission in 2019, 117 lynxes were recorded in Poland! Today, we know that we can increase this number by 90 individuals, as we estimate the population size in northwestern Poland!

On this special day, we wish all lynxes the greatest reproductive success 🐱😊

P.S. While writing this post, we thought of several stories from the field regarding the „discovery” of lynx births, whose mothers are not monitored telemetry-wise, and we decided that we will treat you to one of them soon 😊