Link: http://www.toothandclaw.org.uk/

Cat of the Month ~ October 2007

The European Lynx - What do they look like?:
The european lynx is cat-like in appearance but is much larger than a domestic cat at just over 1m in length and weighing between 30 - 40Kg. They have a very short tail and ear tuffs with a grey-brown spotted coat.

The European Lynx

Where do they live?:
The live mainly in pine forests and mountain areas of northern Europe. They are solitary (live alone) animals and live in a large home range.

What do they eat?:
Their main prey are roe deer, hares and rabbits. Sometimes they will eat sheep. An adult lynx eats on average 1-2 kg of meat a day.

How many are there in Britain?:
There are no longer any lynx in Britain. They lived here about 1,000 years ago but became extinct probably due to hunting and loss of places to live.

Biology:
Mating takes place between February to April with usually 2 -3 young born 10 weeks later. The mother cares for and feeds her kittens on her own with no help from the father. Young lynx live with their mother until about ten months old and then move away. Most adults live for around 4 - 5 years but survivors can reach 17 years of age.

Some more facts about European Lynx:
* The Scientific name of the Lynx is 'Lynx Lynx'.
* Lynx are rare animals with only small numbers present in just a few countries of Europe.
* Some people are allowed to hunt lynx in Europe for their fur and skins.
* Lynx have reintroduced to some European countries to help them increase their numbers.
* Some people want to return lynx to the wild in Britain.
* It is thought that Scotland has enough wild places for about 350 lynx.
* Some farmers would be against this happening because lynx sometimes kill sheep.