Wildlife

A glimpse of the lynx

Internationally awarded and professional photographer Laurent Geslin is trying something almost impossible. For almost ten years Laurent is chasing the elusive lynx in Europe. Living in the Swiss Jura mountains, he is right in the domain of one of Europe’s large carnivores. His award-winning book ‘LYNX, regards croisés’ showed his magnificent search for the Eurasian lynx in Switzerland and France.

After my book “LYNX, regards croisés” I am working on a project of filming the elusive cat in the wild for a documentary.

Take a look at the preview, as the project is now half-way done:

Species at risk

The lynx used to roam many places in Europe, but soon became extinct due to hunting practices. Successful re-introduction programmes established new populations of lynx in countries like Switzerland, Austria and Germany. NGOs monitor the cats with GPS collars, but are still losing animals due to illegal poaching. Recently the lynx Alus was found dead in Germany, yet authorities still need to confirm the cause of death. Alus was part of an international scientific programme, providing humans with insights and understanding of the lynx’ behaviour. Also in France, the lynx populations are decreasing every year.

But there is also good news, in other areas the populations seem to be stable. And conservationists are debating the possibilities to re-introduce the lynx to Britain, after being absent for more than 1,000 years. It could be a great way to help Britains nature restore to a new balance, like the wolves do in other countries. Currently there is an overpopulation of deer, putting huge pressure on the vegetation. And the large numbers of pine martens predate on the protected capercaillies. Scientists believe a re-established population in Britain can hold approximately 250 lynxes. They would become Wilderness architects, just like the wolves in European mainland.

Would you like to have your own lynx? Find out more, here.

Read more about Laurent’s work here.

Stay up to date on the Wilderness news, subscribe to our Newsletter!

4 thoughts on “A glimpse of the lynx

  • dear Rhihards,
    thank you for the video of the lynx in Italy it was very interesting. did you make this video by yourself of did your parents help you?

  • thanks for the glimpse of the lynx!!!!!:)

  • Dear Rhihards.

    We sent you an email. Thank you for alerting us about this situation.

  • The worst situation with killing lynxes is in Latvia! Really, no country in the whole EU can compete with Latvia in brutality and extent for killing protected species – lynxes and wolves in its territory. Each hunting season trophy hunters in Latvia are allowed to kill 150 lynxes from a very small Baltic lynx population. After enormous hunting season starting from 1December with ending on 31March the number is down less than 200 lynxes in Latvia lately! Trophy hunters are even allowed to kill lynxes’ mothers with youngsters keeping close in early December. These shameful crimes against large carnivores in Latvia are committed violating the European nature protection laws – the Bern Convention and the Habitats Directive. Wolves are slaughtered systematically 280 animals every hunting season, without any evaluation of wolf packs and certain individuals, starting early from 15 July until 31 March. It is the longest massacre of the “priority species” in EU level even with no valid methodology to state the hunting quotas for lynxes and wolves.

Please Leave a Comment

×