Observation tip
Species protection in practice
Eurasian lynx
Lynx lynx
Did you know ... that lynxes can locate the rustling of a mouse from a distance of 50 metres and hear a deer passing by 500 metres away? The typical tufts of hair on their pointed ears increase their ability to locate sounds.
The largest European feline predator
The family
Felines (Felidae)
Distribution
Lynxes live in the Alps, the Jura and the north-eastern part of Switzerland and are predominantly forest dwellers.
Lifestyle
Lynxes are solitary animals who mark and defend their extensive territories, which, depending on the adequacy of the food supply, can exceed 200 km² in size. When they reach the age of one year, the young leave their mothers to seek out their own territories.
Reproduction
Their mating season extends from January to March and their gestation period is around ten weeks. They give birth to two or three kittens between April and June in a secluded location.
Food
Lynxes are stalkers and hunters who stealthily track their prey and then overwhelm them in a surprise attack. They hunt mainly during twilight and at night. Lynxes cover significant parts of their territories each day in search of prey. In Switzerland, 88% of the lynx's prey consist of roe deer and chamois. Surprisingly, the red fox is in third place, making up 4.3% of the lynx diet (source: KORA). They also prey on martens, wild boars, mice and marmots. Attacks on livestock – particularly sheep, seldom goats – only happen locally and when other prey is unavailable. The Swiss national lynx plan allows a relocation or local hunt of lynxes in areas where attacks on livestock occur.
Senses
Lynxes have very good eyesight, their powerful retinas also allowing them to see in the dark. They also have excellent hearing, the tufts of hair on their ears increasing the ability to locate the sources of sounds.
The lynx in Langenberg
Since 1975. Their enclosure, which was constructed in 1982, offers the lynxes plenty of room to move around and seclude themselves. There are elevated platforms that give them space to rest. The lynxes in the Langenberg are usually fed with chicken and vension meat, including including fur, feathers, and bones, which contain important nutrients. To keep the animals occupied, the food is distributed via a cable car system and in feeders throughout the park.
The Wildnispark Zurich Foundation participates in the European conservation breeding program for lynx and thus contributes to the preservation of the Eurasian lynx in the wild.
Support lynx living in the wild!
The wild lynx population is under threat. The individual populations are sometimes very isolated from each other, which means that the animals are threatened by inbreeding. The European network Linking Lynx is trying to prevent the extinction of the lynx by releasing suitable young animals into the wild.
The lynx enclosure at Langenberg Wildlife Park is one of the few places where young lynx can be prepared for an independent life in the wild. Thanks to donations, the Wildnispark Zurich Foundation is able to meet the strict requirements, such as near-natural planting with plenty of cover or special feeders that prepare the animals for foraging in the wild.
Support the lynxes at the Langenberg Wildlife Park with a donation!
Video: Lynx population in danger: inbreeding causes genetic defects
In June 2024, a reporter from the German TV channel ARD filmed this impressive documentary about the endangered lynx population in Europe. He was also a guest at the Zurich Wilderness Park and visited the special lynx facility where young lynx are prepared for release into the wild.
Support the lynxes at the Langenberg Wildlife Park with a donation!
