Ris Lukaš will replace Zois in Gorenjska

Posted - Mar 12, 2023


Today, a new lynx, Lukaš that was captured in Slovakia at the end of January this year, arrived in a quarantine enclosure on Jelovica. The adult male will replace lynx Zois, whose collar’s locations we have not been receiving since April last year, one year before the planned end of telemetry surveillance. Since then, he was not recorded on photo-traps or during snow-tracking, therefore it is very likely that Zois is no longer present. Jelovica is also the territory of a female lynx Aida, and with the new male we will enable her to have an unrelated lynx in her territory to mate with.

Lynx Lukaš. Photo: Florijan Tišler

In the Gorenjska region we are currently monitoring four translocated lynxes; females Aida, Lenka and Julia and a maleTris, which is the only male with which the translocated females can mate. We are also monitoring some of the translocated lynxes’ offspring. As lynxes are territorial animals, their numbers are limited in a given area and there is no concern they would overpopulate it. Females typically have territories of 100 km2 and males 200 km2, animals of opposite sexes are usually mutually exclusive.

Territory of lynx Aida in the Jelovica Area. Photo: LIFE Lynx

Lukaš will now spend a few weeks adjusting to his new environment and will be released into nature in mid-April. During this time, the lynx will be cared for by hunters from Nomenj Gorjuše Hunting Club. It is important not to disturb the lynx while it is adjusting to its new environment, as it is a very shy wild animal. The location of the enclosure is not publicly known and  we ask people not to approach it. We are also monitoring the area around the enclosure with cameras and with the help of local hunters and inspectors.