The images made the rounds on social networks. On October 18, 2024, a resident, who was walking her dog in the mini-golf park in Niederbronn-les-Bains, saw a young lynx a few meters from her before taking a video and posting it on Facebook. Although it arouses the admiration of several Internet users, the animal is “distraught and starving”, according to Claude Kurtz, member of the wolf-lynx network and feline specialist.
A few hours after its passage in the city center of Niederbronn-les-Bains, the animal was found in a coma by the French Biodiversity Office (OFB). He would have been the victim of shovels in the henhouse of a private property, according to Claude Kurtz. The OFB specifies in a press release that “given his critical condition, the individual […] died” despite being transported to a veterinarian.
Legal proceedings in progress
Since then, legal proceedings have been underway concerning the death of the lynx. Indeed, the animal is an endangered species and protected at national and international level. The Office specifies that “its destruction is punishable by a fine of 150,000 euros and 3 years of imprisonment”.
To try to find out more clearly about the exact causes of the animal’s death and its journey through the streets of this commune in the Northern Vosges, the OFB is trying to obtain information from the general public, particularly residents. surroundings. In reaction to the affair, the OFB also announced “strengthening the means of awareness […] to facilitate coexistence with this species.
Anyone with information regarding the young lynx who died on October 18, 2024 is asked to contact the OFB departmental service on 03 88 70 48 59 or by email: [email protected]
