The lynx did not pay attention to the householders, and people also kept away from the lynx. The animal destroyed the tractor, jumped over the wood ridge and left. “As we can judge, the young lynx wanted to play. You can already see that the animal is not huge,” shares Sanita, who shared the photo on Monday, March 25, in her conclusions.
You have to start getting used to the presence of the lynx
You have to get used to the presence of lynxes near people, Jānis Ozoliņš, researcher and zoologist of the Latvian State Forestry Institute “Silava”, who monitors the large carnivores in Latvia, told the “tv3.lv” portal. “Because if them [lūšus] don’t hunt, the animals are getting braver.”
The behavior of the lynx in the yard of the Jaunpiebalga homestead does not seem special or unusual to the researcher. Wild animals are generally not afraid of technology, and right now – in February and March – is the lynx rutting season. This means that wild cats devote themselves to taking care of a new litter, they no longer look after their adult offspring so much, but on the contrary – they start to separate from them.
“Small lice may appear more often. For about one to two months, they can be daring, inadequate, until they start to get used to independent life, unless during this period they are run over or eaten by wolves and dogs,” says Ozoliņš.
When a person encounters a lynx in his living area, he should not approach it, try to tame it. Although rabies has not been observed in the wild in Latvia, lynxes can carry other diseases dangerous to humans and pets.
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The lynx is not dangerous for humans, Ozoliņš emphasizes again and again. It is different with pets and poultry. Unattended and with the inability to properly assess the situation, a dog or cat can end up in the claws of a lynx.
Jānis Ozoliņš
JVMI “Silava” researcher
“Attacks on pets are very rare. It may happen that a sheep is attacked, but in general sheep are vulnerable to absolutely all predators, unless they are fenced with an electric fence.”
Ozoliņš says that in the case of the residents of Jaunpiebalga, when they see a lynx, they should be happy for the rare sight. He repeatedly reminds that the lynx is not a hunted animal in Latvia, it is becoming safer and the number is also increasing year by year. This means that we will encounter them more and more often in our vicinity, even in the bright part of the day.
Not hunting since 2022
Information from the State Forestry Service shows that since December 2021, the lynx is no longer a huntable species in Latvia.
In 2022, the government announced that the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) was included in the list of specially protected species, thus their hunting in the country has been stopped.
2021/2022 in the hunting season of 2018, according to the assessment of the Ministry of Defense, there are around 1,400 lynxes in Latvia. In the previous season, the estimated number of lynxes was around 1300. According to the data available to the VMD, the lynx population can currently be assessed as stable with a slight upward trend, which is confirmed by the data on the distribution of the population.
Lynx in Riga Zoo
Interesting facts
Interesting facts about lynxes
- Information from the Nature Protection Board shows that the lynx is a cautious animal. It strictly adheres to a certain rhythm and order of the day. Walk along your favorite routes and use the usual rest areas.
- Like a cat, a lynx is quite curious, however, it explores new objects very slowly and carefully.
- The characteristics of a lynx as a wild cat are very similar to those of an ordinary domestic cat – it is a smart and agile hunter, but it also likes to lazily sleep and snooze. Very independent – chooses when and what to do.
- A lynx hunts in the same way as a domestic cat – it sneaks up on its prey or pounces on it from its hiding place. The belief that a lynx attacks its victim from a tree and pounces on its neck is a false but widespread myth.
- The lynx, like all cats, purrs, growls and growls, but these sounds are louder, coarser and quite different from the voice of a domestic cat.
- The lynx also sharpens its claws and bathes like a domestic cat, but does not climb a tree too often. I prefer to climb fallen tree trunks.
Tags: Walked inspected tractor lynx roams Jaunpiebalga homestead broad daylight
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