A boreal lynx cub was born in the Catalan Pyrenees, the first of its species in 89 years (since the death of the last in the area has been recorded). The boreal lynx, a feline similar to the Iberian lynx but larger (and from a different family) came to the world at the end of May this year. This week, it has been presented “in society” at MónNatura Pirineus, a center for the recovery of fauna, environmental education and interpretation of nature belonging to the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation. The animal, which is in perfect health, is the result of a pair of captive lynxes that were transferred from Galicia to Catalonia in 2008. The baby still has no name.
His birth has been a surprise. As the director of Territory and Environment of the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation, Miquel Rafa, explained through a press release, the reason is that the mother, Liu, had a relatively small belly, because she was not expecting a litter, but only one. At the light, on May 28, those responsible for the center were surprised : it was the first European or boreal lynx to be born in the area of the Catalan Pyrenees in almost a century. The last boreal lynx on record was hunted in 1930.
The European lynx or boreal lynx ( Lynx lynx ) is a threatened species; stable populations exist in northern Europe and Asia, but in the Catalan Pyrenees, the species had been considered extinct. Up to now. The boreal lynxes can reach a size of 1.30 m in length and 40 kilograms in weight.
Now, the objectives revolve around the reintroduction into the wild life of the Pyrenees of this newborn calf. MónNatura Pirineus carries out reinsertion work on captive animals in the natural environment when they are ready for it, such as bearded vultures, owls, black kites, buzzards, foxes, dukes, or roe deer. In captivity, boreal lynxes can live up to 20 years, although in the wild, they last a little less, up to 15.
X-ray of the boreal lynx
The boreal lynx differs from the Iberian lynx, as we have commented, mainly due to its large size. In the Catalan forests it used to be known as a cerval wolf, or ‘gatillop’ in Catalan , that is, a feline, but as big and disturbing as a wolf. In addition to hunting, the lack of prey and the destruction of habitat have been the factors that have led to their disappearance. They are exclusively carnivorous; Their diet is based on between 1 and 2 kilograms of meat a day, and their favorite prey is roe deer. Natural threats are rare. It is estimated that around 50,000 boreal lynxes remain worldwide, most of them in Russia and China.
For its part, the Wildlife Center is a facility that allows you to learn about the species that make up the wild fauna of the Pyrenees and carry out environmental education activities. The animals live there for different reasons: either they are part of breeding projects for reintroduction (such as the bearded vulture and the boreal lynx); they are either in the process of acclimatization prior to reintroduction; or on the contrary they are irrecoverable (not releasable) and have to be fed and cared for all their lives.
Source: Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation https://www.fundaciocatalunya-lapedrera.com/
