Welsh Peregrine
Well-known member
And of course Iberian Lynx can be obliging at times; but all the evidence around these two suggests that they are not accustomed to surviving as wild Lynx.
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Lynx released in the Highlands (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter JTweedie
- Start date
JTweedie
Well-known member
I don't think wild, free-roaming lynx would be a risk to people, but like many large predators that have become used to being around people (whether through being raised in captivity or being regularly fed by people), they could potentially be unpredictable around people who are not familiar with them.
I'm not saying they would attack to kill a person, but like semi-domesticated wolves (as well as dogs) they may show some aggression against people they don't know, or people who behave in a way that makes the animals feel threatened or excited (for example, feeding them or withholding food from animals that expect to be fed).
I'm not saying they would attack to kill a person, but like semi-domesticated wolves (as well as dogs) they may show some aggression against people they don't know, or people who behave in a way that makes the animals feel threatened or excited (for example, feeding them or withholding food from animals that expect to be fed).
Despite their increasing abundance, not many times unfortunately.
Lynx on my land:
At night:
photos.app.goo.gl
During the day:
photos.app.goo.gl
At night:
New video by Lithuania And Beyond
photos.app.goo.gl
During the day:
New video by Lithuania And Beyond
photos.app.goo.gl
TheBlackGrouse
Well-known member
That's a valid point but are wolves/lynx to blame when idiots feed them?
Two/three of our wolves approach people because of that. They are not agressive at all but this is unwanted behavior, their young may learn to approach people and accidents will happen in the end. We had incidents with our Wild Boar that were used to feeding. Every large animal will become dangerous in a situation like that.
This seems to be a cultural phenomenon, Germans behave 'better' in nature than Dutch who think the law does not apply to them. Years ago, when there were sightings of a (presumed) Mountain Lion, Dutch families with small children were on the news, at sunset entering the woods and searching for the big cat. Brilliant idea, chasing a big cat at night. Foresters and police had to intervene and got them out of the forests.
For more than hundred years large predators were absent in the Netherlands. Nature was raked, without dead trees, and Roe Deer were the most exciting animals. Times have changed, we have to learn (again) how wild nature works. There should be severe punisment for feeding wild animals, being nice as a forester doesn't work, a hard reset is needed.
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jurek
Well-known member
From the experience in Continental Europe:
Captive wild cats appear in the wild usually unintentionally, because they escape from their enclosures.
There are also known cases of animal rights activists releasing them from wildlife parks or private holdings. In the 2000s, Wildpark Langenberg in Switzerland was vandalized and several animal enclosures were opened or damaged. Animals stayed inside, except a wildcat which moved to the nearby bear enclosure. I don't know how the narrative of illicit reintroduction attempt in Scotland appeared.
Lynxes since over a decade live close to major cities like Warsaw, Basel and Zurich. Lynx were never recorded to attack people. They are timid and generally prefer to hide and hope to be overlooked. They are good in sharing the landscape with people but avoiding them - using roads, tourist spots and crossing towns at night and early morning, resting and hunting in patches of woodland where people don't go and so on.
I followed two successful lynx reintroductions in Poland and Switzerland. Lynx mortality is high in general, successful reintroductions used several 10s of lynxes. Surprisingly, lynxes raised in a cage can stalk and hunt by instinct and can quickly learn to feed themselves. One major danger is them being unafraid of people. Second danger is being hit by traffic. This story of lynxes quickly reported by the public and easily caught in a cage looks like I would imagine a story of escaped lynxes to turn out.
Captive wild cats appear in the wild usually unintentionally, because they escape from their enclosures.
There are also known cases of animal rights activists releasing them from wildlife parks or private holdings. In the 2000s, Wildpark Langenberg in Switzerland was vandalized and several animal enclosures were opened or damaged. Animals stayed inside, except a wildcat which moved to the nearby bear enclosure. I don't know how the narrative of illicit reintroduction attempt in Scotland appeared.
Lynxes since over a decade live close to major cities like Warsaw, Basel and Zurich. Lynx were never recorded to attack people. They are timid and generally prefer to hide and hope to be overlooked. They are good in sharing the landscape with people but avoiding them - using roads, tourist spots and crossing towns at night and early morning, resting and hunting in patches of woodland where people don't go and so on.
I followed two successful lynx reintroductions in Poland and Switzerland. Lynx mortality is high in general, successful reintroductions used several 10s of lynxes. Surprisingly, lynxes raised in a cage can stalk and hunt by instinct and can quickly learn to feed themselves. One major danger is them being unafraid of people. Second danger is being hit by traffic. This story of lynxes quickly reported by the public and easily caught in a cage looks like I would imagine a story of escaped lynxes to turn out.
MiddleRiver
Well-known member
Sanitizing nature to reduce 'risk to humans, livestock, pets, etc.'... I just can't - specially as a birder! - wrap my head around it. Nature is nature - if you are too stupit to respect it, please stay home in front of your TV!!
TheBlackGrouse
Well-known member
You are absolutely right, the only thing in our (Western European) defense: for 100 years our Dutch forests consisted of neatly planted rows of trees, designed for timber harvest only. We simply lost the knowledge of nature. All large animals were hunted to extinction: wolf, lynx, brown bear, red deer, wild boar etc.
Rewilding is a complicated process, farmers and hunters have strong lobbies in government. Add to this our culture that we decide for ourselves and we have a serious problem.
For instance, when one pair of our wolves had to flee (because of sudden human activity) with their young to another area (photos in the media) the forest manager (who was warned) did nothing to protect the new nest (he has to according to the law). Then, a group of screaming childeren with guides (who should know better) approached the young and one wolf made a defensive move and pushed a little child. Immediately the 'wolves are dangerous' lobby came in action and politicians called for killing these wolves.
jogresh
Bimble and patch
Lynx captured after being illegally released in Highlands
Conservation experts set traps to humanely capture the two animals, spotted near Kingussie on Wednesday.
www.bbc.co.uk
edenwatcher
Well-known member
and now two more.
Rob
Two more lynx spotted on loose in the Highlands
The sighting follows the capture of two lynx in the same area on Thursday.
www.bbc.co.uk
Rob
TheBlackGrouse
Well-known member
Look at the video, the lynx approaches people, sits close to them, these are not wild lynx.
And that's a terrible thought, that a group of people is releasing domestic predators.
That can go either way, for instance it may lead to attacks on sheep. Yes, lynx are hunters by nature but to catch a roe deer takes more than stalking.
And that's a terrible thought, that a group of people is releasing domestic predators.
That can go either way, for instance it may lead to attacks on sheep. Yes, lynx are hunters by nature but to catch a roe deer takes more than stalking.
Lynx not scared of being around humans are going to have no problem seeing pets as prey. Even if a first generation release were to not be a problem due to also not seeing dogs and cats as a food source, their offspring would surely not have the same unnatural limitation.
Haha
, I couldn't help myself laughing out loud!This exact example, again, illustrates the idiocracy of the modern western human species, totally disconnected from the world!🙈
It’s a shame that release of non native species is so easy and unhindered but trying to reintroduce things that should be here is so hard. Certainly want to do things properly, with monitoring and using the best available data available. Work together to ensure everyone wins.
Andy Lakin
Well-known member
What would the laws be regarding farmers shooting these and claiming that they were after their stock. Obviously they are non native animals without the correct permissions to release them. Not that all farmers would obey the relevant laws anyway.
dantheman
Bah humbug
Second pair of Lynx captured in Cairngorms
Two other lynx were captured in the same area on Thursday.
www.bbc.co.uk
I guess the poor little things were hungry.
Thrupenney Bit
Well-known member
I remember reading about Eurasian Lynx being reintroduced in a country in the East ( apologies, I read it a long while ago! ) and inevitably uproar from farmers assuming sheep will be killed.Second pair of Lynx captured in Cairngorms
Two other lynx were captured in the same area on Thursday.
I guess the poor little things were hungry.
The government set up a compensation scheme for farmers, anyone loosing sheep could reclaim the money and no one had made a claim.
The locals had turned from being very much against the reintroduction to being very positive. The local economy had boomed with eco-wildlife tours set up for animal lovers hoping to see them in the wild. Hotels, guest houses and 'safari' groups set up to guide the tourists were greatly enhancing the local economy and everyone was happy.
As ever here in the UK someone immediately starts banging on about people at risk, livestock getting attacked.
It really annoys me as it's just knee-jerk ill informed scare mongering. Farmers in particular will avoid any change and moan.
On wednesday of this week I attended a talk by the ranger regarding the new wetland created near where I live, and reflecting on 14 months since the embankment breached and made a very wet cricket field into a wonderful new wetland. The increased birdlife is why I'm now on this forum and have indulged myself in some lovely new optics!
The river ( now canalised since 1816 ) is famous as Beavers were discovered on it. No one knows where they came from initially, possibly a 'wild release' but the local wildlife trust had the idea to watch how things went, and now some years later the Beaver is a protected species, and living wild in England for the first time in centuries.
Most locals are becoming very proud of our Beaver populations though this is not universal. At the talk on wednesday, someone stood up and asked in a very pointed way the ranger's opinion on how the Beaver population in the adjacent river could affect the fish stocks and therefore the angling community.
A snigger went around the audience as the ranger gently pointed out that Beavers were vegetarian and only ate the vegetation!!
Someone always likes to complain.
Personally, with deer populations in the UK at a high, I'd love to see Eurasian Lynx reintroduced where appropriate. From everything I've read, they are very specific in their prey, and the prey being deer.
We might then see a reduction in Lyme Disease, a deer tick born disease, which has become increasingly common around where I live.
Seems people are confusing their feline/canine concerns with each other. Coyotes and wolves will definitely take something as small and tasty as sheep, but lynx would be a much more realistic danger to pets and poultry.
