Young female lynx has been released into the wild in the Piska Forest by environmentalists from WWF Polska. This is the third animal brought in this year in Estonia in order to save the small population of this species in Masuria.
Two years old female lowland lynx was captured in Estonian forests and brought to a new habitat in the forestry district Spychowo, told PAP Stefan Jakimiuk from WWF Polska.
A month earlier, environmentalists brought from Estonia two adult male lynx and released them in the Piska Forest and Napiwodzko-Ramuckie Forests. All animals received collars with transmitters, allowing to keep track of their movements.
"The males still explore the area, they are very busy, one of them even goes beyond the forests. The female, for the time being, remains near the place where she has been released" - said Jakimiuk. He added that forest rangers found the remains of deer killed by one of the Estonian lynx, which shows that predators have adapted to their new environment.
WWF Polska plans to bring one more lynx from Estonia. It is the result of the project "Large predators in Poland", carried together with the State Forests program "Large carnivores in Poland", with the purpose of reintroduction of these animals to Masuria.
Under this project, 11 lynx born in captivity have been released in the Mazurian forests since 2007. Adult animals were placed them in aviaries in the woods. Their offspring could leave and return through small passages in the fence, until achieving independence in the natural environment.
Lynx in Poland are subject to strict protection of species since 1995, and as threatened with extinction they are entered into the Polish Red Book of Animals. The population of this predator in the country is estimated at 200 animals. Currently there are at least eight wild lynx in Masuria , environmentalists want to increase their number to 20-40 animals.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland
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