The beginning of the year is not only the mating season for lynxes, which is extremely important for the survival of the species, but also the time for replacing telemetry collars, especially for female lynxes.
Telemetry collars are a source of much controversy among those who follow our efforts to reintroduce this species. They may not look very friendly on a lynx's neck, but they allow us to monitor lynxes in the field 🗺
As you have probably noticed, we already have several generations of lynxes born in the wild 🐱🐱🐱, and seeing them in the field is nothing short of a miracle (literally!).
❗️Thanks to the collars, we know their whereabouts, the size of their territories, the relationships between individual individuals and, most importantly, we can check whether a female has given birth and how she is coping with raising her kittens.❗️
Do not think that we are harassing the lynxes with our presence. We are far from it. Firstly, there are too few of us to be able to visit each lynx at least once every two weeks, and secondly, we can glean a lot of information from the data transmitted. For example, a cluster of telemetry points in the same place tells us that a lynx has hunted its prey there, and when it leaves, we can go and check what has been hunted. Scientists use such data to prepare publications, thanks to which our knowledge about a given species increases📈
Another benefit of telemetry collars is the information they provide about birthing sites, which allows us to ensure the safety of mothers and their young, e.g. by suspending forestry work in the vicinity of such locations.
In addition, telemetry collars allow us to monitor the lynx population in the field. We have information about prey, the number of kittens born and survived, and we know the ranges of individual animals. The greater the number of collars, the greater the amount of data that influences our knowledge about the state of the population. This is extremely important, especially during the reintroduction programme.
We know that many people are concerned that the collar is too large and heavy, which interferes with the lynxes' natural functioning. We would like to reassure you.
📍The collar weighs only about 300 grams, and the average weight of a lynx is 20 kg for females and 26 kg for males.
📍The collars do not interfere with hunting or raising young. In the initial period after releasing a lynx into the wild, we check how it is doing in the field.
📍The lynx collar has a leather strap that does not harm the animal in any way, and the lynx can free itself from it if it tries hard enough (we have already had several cases of collars being lost or removed).
Our ‘collar’ activities are dictated by the welfare of the lynx population and we certainly do not act to the detriment of individual animals🐱 You can rest assured about the fate of the lynxes we care for 😊😻
📷R. Czerniawska
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