Several young boreal lynx seen in the Northern Vosges massif

A female accompanied by two kittens, “all in good health and walking in the undergrowth”the Moselle prefecture announced in a press release on Friday October 4. This is the pretty scene witnessed by teams from the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) at the beginning of July. Indeed, this family of boreal lynx was seen on a video made by a foresterin the Northern Vosges forest.

The OFB, which is responsible for monitoring the species, therefore viewed these images and confirmed that they were indeed boreal lynx. Moreover, “in September, a lynx kitten in distress was reported by walkers, testifying toa second reproduction in another sector of the Northern Vosges”adds the prefecture. “The young animal, alone and weakened, was taken care of and placed in a care center.”

Around ten individuals recorded in the Vosges

Two reports, a few months apart, which push “the local players in the Wolf Lynx network” to gradually strengthen “monitoring in the sector concerned in order to document the future of these individualsknowing that on average one in two young people does not reach adulthood”explains the Moselle prefecture.

She adds that it is “recommended not to try to meet these animals and to take care to respect their tranquility. Any disturbance generated by increased attendance in the forest could have dramatic consequences for these animals, the escape behavior potentially presenting a real risk for the female and its young.” This is why, if you come across a boreal lynx, it is advisable to remain still and silenttime to let the animal move away calmly.

Around ten individuals are currently recorded throughout the Vosges massif. “As a reminder, the lynx is a protected species at national and international level (its destruction is punishable by a fine of 150,000 euros and three years of imprisonment). This species preferentially consumes wild ungulates (deer, chamois) and very exceptionally sheep (less than two individuals per department per year). The lynx’s hunting modus operandi does not resemble that of the wolf. The rare attacks on a herd are clearly identifiable and only concern a single animal. They are subject to compensation in the same way as for the wolf.adds the prefecture in its press release.