The Eurasian lynx

Lynx lynx

The Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx, also known as the Boreal lynx, is the largest cat in Europe and can weigh up to 38 kg. There is another species in Europe, in the Iberian Peninsula, called the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus).

Collective scientific expertise on the viability of lynx populations in France

On Wednesday 4 December 2024, the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and the Office français de la Biodiversité submitted a collective scientific and technical report on the viability of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) populations in France to the steering committee of the National Lynx Action Plan.

A unique appearance

The lynx is the largest cat in Europe! However, it should be noted that Siberian lynxes are much larger than those found in the Balkans. It has a short tail, tufts of hair on its ears and whiskers on its cheeks.

Its broad paws act like snowshoes, preventing it from sinking into the snow, while its thick fur protects it from the cold.

The senses of the lynx

A silent and highly skilled hunter, the lynx surprises its prey thanks to its stealth. It must be said that this feline has excellent hearing, which allows it to detect its surroundings. However, its daytime vision is no better than that of humans: it does not really have "eagle eyes"! It only sees better than humans at night.

A skilled hunter

Lynx boréal au Parc zoologique de Paris
© MNHN - E. Baril

This carnivore regularly travels around 20 kilometres per night and is capable of jumping over 2 metres! The lynx is a skilled acrobat that climbs with ease. Solitary and territorial, the lynx particularly enjoys rugged forest areas, far from humans. It is during the night that it ventures into more open terrain, particularly to hunt roe deer. The Eurasian lynx is an outstanding hunter: it can kill prey up to three or four times its size! As an adult, it competes with wolves and even the most imposing felines, such as tigers and panthers in Asia.

Did you know?

Unlike other felines, which have 30 teeth, the Eurasian lynx has only 28!

A fairly hight mortality rate

The mating season occurs once a year. During this period, males and females stay together and mate over a period of several days. The young lynx cubs that are born will have a mortality rate of 50% in their first year, and the same in their second year, during which time the young lynxes seek out their own territory.

Highly endangered, the Eurasian lynx had disappeared from France at the beginning of the 20th century. After several reintroductions, this feline is once again present in France, but its population is very small.

How did the lynx return?

Known as the "wolf cat" in the Middle Ages, it was present throughout the continent when its population began to decline under pressure from deforestation and intensive hunting. Confined to mountainous regions and poached for its fur, the lynx was exterminated like the wolf and the bear from the 17th century onwards, until it disappeared completely from the Jura and the Massif Central at the beginning of the 20th century. It was reintroduced in the Vosges but has returned naturally to the Alps and the Jura from Switzerland.

The population is currently estimated to be between 150 and 200 individuals. Although it is protected by the Bern Convention, threats persist: poaching, habitat fragmentation, road collisions, etc. It is classified on the red list of endangered species in France.