Mother lynx attacks and injures three dogs in Switzerland
Lynx attacks are very rare in Switzerland.
Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott
A female lynx has attacked three dogs in the Yvonand area in the Swiss canton of Vaud in recent days. But experts do not consider the wild cat’s behavior to be problematic as the mother lynx was protecting her young.
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Keystone-SDA
The Vaud Environment Agency is of the opinion that no measures need to be taken, it told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Friday. The office confirmed a report in the newspaper 24 heures.
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According to the Vaud authorities, the attacks occurred on December 7, 8 and 11 in a large forest not far from the shores of Lake Neuchâtel, near Yvonand.
In addition to protecting the young, the presence of a wild animal carcass in the first two attacks could also explain the lynx’s behavior, the environmental agency noted. She may have wanted to defend her prey.
The female lynx inflicted scratches on the backs and several bite wounds on the three dogs. “The dogs are doing better after being looked after by a vet,” writes 24 heures.
This type of attack by lynx is very rare in Switzerland, according to the Kora Foundation, which is responsible for monitoring large carnivores. As a rule, there are “between one and two” such cases per year.
According to a Kora estimate from 2019, there are around 250 specimens of this protected species in Switzerland. The large cat with brush ears and a stubby tail was reintroduced to the country around 40 years ago.
Unlike the wolf, the lynx causes relatively few problems with sheep and goats. According to Kora, the number of attacks on livestock by the big cat has now leveled off at between 20 and 40 per year.
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Lynx population appears stable in Switzerland
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Monitoring of lynx populations in Switzerland has shown the wild cat still thriving since its reintroduction to the Alpine state.
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