The lynx

Latin name: Lynx lynx
Characteristics: Typical of Europe's largest feline predator is its relatively tall legs, 20 to 25 cm short tail and "tufts" - conspicuous tufts of hair on the tips of the ears. The coloration of this big cat varies from grey and lightly spotted in the northern distribution areas to reddish-brown with distinct black spots.
Habitat: The big cat inhabits large, closed forests. Forest-free areas act as an obstacle to dispersal, but dense undergrowth and rocky terrain can be a substitute for closed forest.
Behavior: The lynx is a stalking hunter that does not pursue its prey if the first surprise attack fails. Lynx are active at all times of the day, but most often at dawn and dusk, when their prey can also be found.

After a long absence, the lynx returned to the Kalkalpen National Park region in 1996. In 2000, it was photographed for the first time using a photo trap and in 2005 it was observed visually on a crack. Since 2011, efforts have been underway to establish a lynx population in the Upper Austrian Limestone Alps with the help of population support measures.

The lynx plays an important ecological role as a predator, particularly in the regulation of hoofed game. Its diet consists mainly of small cloven-hoofed animals (roe deer, chamois), of which it needs around 50 to 60 animals per year. At the end of May or beginning of June, after a gestation period of 68 to 72 days, the lynx gives birth to one to four cubs, which remain with her until the next mating season in March.

The lynx was extinct in the Alps for decades. Today, two successful reintroduction programs in Switzerland and Slovenia are safeguarding the extremely sparse population in the Alpine region. Due to their hunting style, lynx require large territories: a male 15,000 - 20,000 hectares, a female 8,000 - 12,000 hectares.

Status, endangerment and protection

Status Kalkalpen National Park: returned since 1996
Status Austria (2005): naturalized again
Red List Austria (2005): critically endangered
Endangered in Europe: potentially endangered
Conservation responsibility for Austria: for the Alpine region
Need for action for Austria: for the Alpine region
EU Habitats Directive: Annex II, IV
Hunting Act Upper Austria: protected all year round

Male lynx Norik was born on 23.5.2021 in the wild cat village of Hütscheroda in Germany and raised at the Tierart wildlife station in Maßweiler, where he was prepared for a life in the wild. Norik comes from a breeding program for reintroductions and is genetically a purebred Carpathian lynx.

Lynx Norik was released in the Bodinggraben at Kalkalpen National Park on December 10, 2022.
The lynx has learned surprisingly quickly to hunt prey and feed itself without human intervention.

Press release: Lynx Norik provides fresh blood in the Kalkalpen National Park

Lynx Luzi was born in spring 2014 in the municipality of Großraming.
She is the daughter of lynx Kora and lynx Jago.

Since 2016, it has had its territory in the south of the national park and in neighboring Styria.

In 2018, Luzi had a kitten, which unfortunately has not been found since October 2018.

Lynx Karo was born in 2014 and is the offspring of lynx Skadi and Jago (= Skadi's brother)
The animal got its name "Karo" because of the beautiful checkered fur pattern on its shoulder.

Lynx Karo's territory extends from the south-eastern part of Kalkalpen National Park to the neighboring municipality of Weyer and areas of neighboring Styria.

Karo was recorded in the Gesäuse National Park between September 2015 and February 2016.
A short time later, he returned to his home territory. In April 2016, Karo was once again detected in the south of Kalkalpen National Park .

Our busy male lynx Karo even made excursions to the municipality of Hollenstein in Lower Austria, where he was confirmed.

Lynx Lakota was born in 2014 and is the offspring of lynx Freia and lynx Jago (= son of Freia)

Short videos on our YouTube channel:

May 2016 Lakota marks his territory

March 2016 Lakota was almost caught

August 2015 Deer meets lynx scent

Lynx Skadi was born in 2012 at Kalkalpen National Park . She is the daughter of lynx Freia and lynx Juro.

Skadi already had a kitten as a two-year-old cat in 2014. The father of this cub is most likely her brother Jago.
Link to our YouTube channel: April 2015 Lynx Skadi with her cub

Skadi was caught in a box trap at Kalkalpen National Park on March 9, 2015. After a veterinary examination, she was fitted with a transmitter collar and immediately released. The transmitter data subsequently obtained showed that the lynx roamed an area of around 20,000 hectares in 2015.

Lynx Aira has been missing since September 2022

Lynx Aira was captured in the southern Jura, in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. A veterinarian examined the cat in detail during the prescribed quarantine period and found her to be healthy.

On March 17, 2017, she was relocated to Kalkalpen National Park together with male lynx Juri and released in the Bodinggraben.

Link to our Youtube channel: March 2017 Lynx release in the Bodinggraben

Lynx Juri has been missing since November 2021

Male lynx Juri was captured in the southern Jura, in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. A veterinarian examined the male in detail during the prescribed quarantine period and found him to be healthy.

On March 17, 2017, Juri and lynx cat Aira were relocated from Switzerland to Kalkalpen National Park and released in the Bodinggraben.

February 2018: After being released, Juri the lynx wandered extensively across the Krems and Almtal valleys into the Salzkammergut. He returns to Kalkalpen National Park just in time for the breeding season.

Lynx Kora has been missing since August 2016

On March 15, 2013, Kora the lynx was released in the Hintergebirge mountains near the Rabenbach stream in wintry temperatures. The approximately 8-year-old Swiss lynx was captured near Asuel in the canton of Jura and has now found a new home at Kalkalpen National Park. Her name "Kora" commemorates the Swiss Society for Coordinated Research Projects for the Conservation and Management of Wild Animals in Switzerland (KORA), which actively supported the population in the Limestone Alps.

July 2014: Facebook article Lynx Kora has two cubs

June 2014: Link to Youtube offspring of lynx Kora

August 2013: Facebook article Lynx Kora has two cubs

May 2013: Facebook article Kora and Juri have met

Lynx Rosa was found dead in July

Lynx Rosa was born in 2014. She is the daughter of lynx Kora and lynx Jago. A short video shows lynx cub Rosa at the whelping den.
Link to our Youtube channel: Lynx Kora has offspring

August 2015: Rosa was detected as an independent female lynx at Kalkalpen National Park using a photo trap image

On July 13, 2016, the lynx cat Rosa was found dead in the municipality of Weyer. According to the preliminary autopsy findings from the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, everything points to a natural cause of death for the lynx cat.

Lynx Freia has been missing since the winter of 2014/15

May 2011: The reintroduction of the lynx "Freia" - a proverbial wild catch from the Swiss Alps - was preceded by years of research by the LUKA working group (Luchs Oberösterreichische Kalkalpen).

In April, the young lynx was captured in the canton of Fribourg in French-speaking Switzerland. After going through a quarantine period, the forest cat was taken to Kalkalpen National Park accompanied by KORA biologists, Christian Fuxjäger from Kalkalpen National Park and a vet. Freia" was released into her new home in the Bodinggraben.

Freia had three litters between 2012 and 2014 with a total of 7 puppies:

Janner 2014: Facebook article Photo trap pictures of lynx Freia and 2 cubs

December 2013: Facebook article Lynx Freia and 2 cubs on the move

July 2013: Facebook article Lynx Freia gives birth to 3 more cubs

June 2012: Lynx Freia gave birth to 2 cubs

Lynx B7 was shot illegally in May 2013

Lynx B7 was born in 2012 with his siblings Skadi and Jago. He is the son of lynx Freia and lynx Juro.
April 2023: Article Facebook Lynx Freia carries 3 cubs

May 2013: Lynx B7 was illegally shot near Kleinreifling. During police investigations, the bellows of lynx B7 were found in a taxidermist's freezer.

November 2015: Criminal trial for illegal lynx killing at Steyr Provincial Court.

January 2016: The perpetrator was finally convicted
The Supreme Courtruling from December 2016 was interpreted in detail in the specialist journal "Recht der Umwelt". With its decision, the Supreme Court drew a landmark conclusion.

Lynx Jago has been missing since April 2014

Lynx Jago was born in 2012 at Kalkalpen National Park . He is the son of lynx Freia and lynx Jago.

April 2014: Facebook article Lynx Jago has disappeared

Lynx Juro was illegally shot in 2013

On December 13, 2011, male lynx Juro was relocated from Switzerland to Kalkalpen National Park . Accompanied by a team of experts, he was brought to Kalkalpen National Park and released in the Reichraminger Hintergebirge mountains.
Hopes are high that lynx "Juro" and lynx "Freia" will soon produce offspring - as the breeding season for the brush-eared lynx begins at the end of February.

In 2012 and 2013 Juro was the father of a total of 9 puppies

Juro has not been detected since June 2013

Sad certainty - Juro the lynx was shot illegally
Although his belly was never found, a circumstantial trial resulted in a legally binding conviction.

Lynx Pankraz has been missing since December 2009

Young lynx "Pankraz" was caught in a box trap in the national park community of St. Pankraz on January 27, 2009.
Hunting guide Helmut Trinkl from St. Pankraz handed the animal over to the Upper Austrian Hunting Association.

In January 2009, "Pankraz" was anaesthetized with the help of J. Streicher from Enghagen Zoo and subsequently examined in detail by official veterinarian Dr. H. Seiringer, Dr. P. Kazcensky (Institute of Wildlife Ecology) and lynx expert T. Huber. It was determined that it was a healthy male cub weighing 14 kg.

Blood and hair samples were subsequently taken from the animal for further genetic testing. Fitted with a clearly visible collar transmitter, it was released back into the wild at Kalkalpen National Park , a long way from where it had been caught.

The last record of lynx Pankraz was in December 2009

Lynx Klaus has been missing since March 2013

The presence of lynx "Klaus" has been suspected since 1996, but the origin of the male lynx (Kuder) is unknown. In 2000, his presence was confirmed for the first time with a photo trap image. 60 detections were made using photo traps between 2000 and 2012.

In order to obtain more data and information about the lynx in the national park, Kalkalpen National Park has been monitoring lynx since 1998. Until 2010, despite the use of photo traps, only one individual could be clearly identified - it was lynx "Klaus".

Lynx use scent marks to demarcate their territory and keep in contact with each other.
Rare pictures were taken in February 2012: Three lynx ran through the same photo trap in just one night. The breeding season begins! Lynx "Freia" was the first to fall into the photo trap, and lynx "Juro" was in the same spot exactly on the minute - just one hour later. Lynx "Klaus" also noticed that a female lynx was on the move here. The photo trap was triggered again at 4.30 a.m. and documented the well-known male lynx. This is also the last photo evidence of "Klaus" to date.