Birth of two Eurasian lynxes in eastern France, a first since the 17th century

Published on : 08/06/2021 – 23:03

A historic birth for an endangered species. Two Eurasian lynx kittens were born in the spring in the Vosges mountains of the north, in eastern France, announced on Friday August 6th. the French Biodiversity Office (OFB). A first since the disappearance of the feline from the region at 17^e century.

The mother, Lycka, a 10-year-old female, was released in March 2020 in the border massif of the Palatinate in Germany as part of a European reintroduction program, the OFB said in a statement, which follows the movements. of the animal using a GPS collar.

Born in Switzerland, Lycka lived in the canton of Neuchâtel before being transferred on March 20, 2020 to the Palatinate forest. It arrived at the end of March 2020 on French territory, according to the statements of the French and German observation teams.

“It is international cooperation in favor of biodiversity that is bearing fruit”, welcomed the OFB, which underlines that the birth of this first litter since the return of the lynx in the Vosges represents “a new bearer of hope for the species “, even if its conservation status remains” very precarious “.

Recognizable by its beige coat and large pointed ears, the Eurasian lynx is the only large wild feline present in France, and is classified as an “endangered” species on the National “red list” of threatened species published by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

Two thirds of the lynx population in France, which amounts to around 150 individuals, are located in the Jura massif. The animal is also present in the east, in the Alps and, sporadically, in the Vosges mountains. Barely a dozen individuals are currently listed on the entire massif, Lycka being the only known female.

The lynx had disappeared from the country at the beginning of the XX^e century, before being reintroduced in eastern France in the 80s and 90s.

State services have been preparing since 2019 a National Action Plan which aims to “restore the French boreal lynx population to a favorable state of conservation” and “the fight against illegal destruction is one of its priorities”, according to the Environment Department.

With AFP