One continent – many lynx populations
Europe's lynxes need to be connected.
By the end of the 19th century, the lynx had been almost completely wiped out in Western and Central Europe. The consequences of this are still felt today.
By 1850, forests in many European countries had been completely overexploited, and wildlife populations had declined sharply. In Switzerland, for example, the ibex, roe deer, red deer, and wild boar had become completely extinct; only the chamois managed to survive in a few locations.
The lynx thus lacked prey and was also fiercely hunted. The consequences were disastrous: by 1897, the Eurasian lynx had disappeared even from its last remaining refuges in the Alps. Populations survived only in isolated areas of Eastern Europe, Russia, and Scandinavia.
→ Wiped Out and Reintroduced
Stricter forestry laws brought about a turning point. The forests recovered, and with them, the lynx’s prey slowly returned.
In the 1970s, lynx from the Carpathians were released into the wild in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. Among other things, it was hoped that the lynx would help curb the damage caused by game animals to young trees.
→ Inbreeding Threatens a Success Story
The reintroduction efforts in Switzerland have been the most successful. Today, there are about 340 lynx in Switzerland, mainly in the Alps and the Jura Mountains. In Germany, there are about 200 lynx living in the wild; in France, 120 to 150; and in Italy and Austria, about 10 each.
But there is a problem: All of these lynx populations are descended from just a few founder animals. The Swiss lynx, for example, have only 10 to a maximum of 20 ancestors. Furthermore, the populations are poorly connected to one another. This poses a risk of inbreeding and, consequently, health problems.
A look at the map shows that today’s lynx populations in Western and Central Europe are, in some cases, very small and poorly connected to one another. This makes gene flow between populations difficult. This is precisely where population support and connectivity projects come into play. These efforts are coordinated in Europe by the “Linking Lynx” network.
