We are talking about Rejent, who has become famous in recent days for walking around the suburbs of Łódź. Rejent arrived in Poland on November 17 last year from the Austrian breeding center in Mautern as part of Project POIS.02.04.00-00-0143/16 “The return of the lynx to northwestern Poland.” Like every lynx brought in, Rejent was genetically tested for membership in the Baltic population, and since he ended up with us, the test result was obviously positive.
ZTP- West Pomeranian Nature Society ZTP- West Pomeranian Nature Society – Dzika Zagroda released him into the wild after quarantine and adaptation. Rejent was fitted with a telemetric collar with a GPS transmitter. After being released from the enclosure in the Mirosławiec Forest District, the male occupied a territory between the towns of Mirosławiec, Drawsko Pomorskie, and Czaplinek, where he remained until April this year.
He was most likely displaced from this territory by another male lynx. He moved east and in mid-April this year occupied a new territory in the Tuchola Forest between Szczecinek, Tuchola, and Bytów. In mid-October, he began his journey south. This is the first such long journey by a male in several years. Since more females have appeared in the reintroduction area, males have been reluctant to leave Western Pomerania.
Thanks to his telemetric collar, we can track his movements. We know that on November 8, he reached the vicinity of Łódź and clearly got lost on the outskirts of the city. Today, Rejent is already several kilometers south of Łódź.
Rejent has been free for a year, is a very skilled hunter, and is in excellent condition. His collar has been working for a year and will continue to work for at least another six months.
We would like to remind you that the worst thing that can happen to Rejent is persistent attempts to approach him. A lynx born in captivity can easily become tame again. For the sake of the animal, please keep your distance. The lynxes released into the wild during the project are intended to form the foundation of a completely wild population. We expect Rejent, as well as all other lynxes released into the wild by us, to produce offspring born in the wild. This is the primary goal of our reintroduction project. If Rejent, constantly observed and tracked, feels that he is not in danger from humans, he may want to reduce the distance, and then the option of returning to captivity becomes inevitable. Surely each of you would like to enjoy the permanent presence of lynxes in nature, so let's remember that every lynx released is a chance for more free lynxes, and every capture of such an animal is a great loss for nature.
fot. R. Czerniawska
fot. A. Bejger
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