All three large carnivores of Europe live in the forest areas of Gorski kotar – the bear, the wolf and the lynx. We had the honour to meet them in person so we want to share our experiences through our blog.
The forests of Gorski kotar are inhabited by two animals from the cat family – the wild cat (Felis silvestris) and the lynx (Lynx lynx) i.e., the Eurasian lynx. We can easily recognize it by its short tail, dark spots that adorn its reddish-grey fur and black tufts on the ears. These tufts are actually strands of hair that serve the animal as an additional sensory organ.
The life of the lynx
The lynx is a nocturnal animal that usually hunts roe deer, rabbits, rodents, but it can also catch red deer that are much larger than it. The average weight of an adult is about twenty kilograms, while the hind is three times heavier. So, we were very surprised when we saw on camera how easily it moves a deer’s prey using the power of its jaw. As with any predator, the senses are crucial when hunting. That is why the lynx has sharp eyesight adapted to night conditions and refined hearing. While its sense of smell is good but not as good as that of the wolf.
A unique distribution of spots
Did you know that the distribution of spots is unique to each specimen? Something like our fingerprints. Even if we shaved all its fur, the arrangement of the spots on the re-grown fur would be the same! This fact allows us to distinguish each specimen. Of course, when analyzing collected photos, it is important to have both sides of the body photographed. Because the distribution of the spots is not mirror identical.
A few months ago, we came across a deer caught by a lynx and we set up two photo traps nearby. These are special cameras that get triggered by movement. They allow us to study wild animals more closely without disturbing them. Our cameras then recorded specimens never recorded before – a male, a female and two kittens. See what it looks like on our YouTube channel.
LIFE Lynx
The LIFE Lynx project for the lynx population conservation is currently going on. As members of the local consultative group, we contribute to the project’s main goal which is to prevent the extinction of the lynx.
You can find out all the news and interesting stories about the life of large carnivores during our Wild & Free adventure program. Sign up and experience the wilderness with us.