On Monday morning, January 3 2022, Croatian LIFE Lynx team was informed that a lynx was found in a concrete well, behind an abandoned house in a remote area in central Lika region in Croatia. Owner of the house (who occasionally visits the area) found the lynx and called the police, who informed our team. We immediately went there, tranquilized the animal and got her out of the 3.5 meters deep well. It was an adult female, exhausted, dehydrated and emaciated (7.6 kg), but without any external injuries. We did everything that was possible in field conditions to rehydrate, warm and stabilize her. As her recovery from chemical immobilization was very slow, we put her in a transport cage and spent the night in a near-by house of Croatian mountain rescue service. In the morning the lynx was awake, responded aggressively (which is normal for a wild animal) and regained her appetite, so we decided to release her at the same location where she was found. We fit her with a satellite collar and we hope to be able to monitor her full recovery. The man who found her named her Marta, after his grandmother who was the last person living in that abandoned house.
We are very thankful to Croatian mountain rescue service, Nature Park Velebit and Public Institution for protection of nature in Lika – Senj County for their help during this rescue operation.
Lynx stranded in a well. Photo: Magda Sindičić, LIFE Lynx
Photo: Magda Sindičić, LIFE Lynx
Rehydration and stabilization of the lynx. Photo: Magda Sindičić, LIFE Lynx
Rescue team with the lynx. Photo: Magda Sindičić, LIFE Lynx