Protected species: outrage over poaching of a lynx in Czechia

[Jana]

This is a translation of latest news piece:

"Animal rights activists in the Czech Republic are outraged at the death of a strictly protected lynx.

The animal died after being seriously injured by a shot.

It has been the fourth lynx in the region to fall victim to poachers since 2000.

The death of a strictly protected lynx outraged animal rights activists in the Czech Republic. The male animal, injured by a gunshot, caught the eye of a former forest ranger and was captured, but died despite veterinary care, as was announced on Friday. "The animal was stressed and emaciated, it must have suffered from pain and hunger," said Frantisek Jaskula, head of the Beskydy landscape protection area in the east of the country. It has been the fourth lynx in the region to fall victim to poachers since 2000.

Animal rights activists had been watching this lynx for years and named him Olda. Since his birth in 2011, he has appeared around 800 times in camera trap images in the region. In the Czech part of the Beskidy, a mountain range of the Western Carpathians, there are barely a dozen lynxes left. The Eurasian lynx is the largest cat species in Europe and can be recognized by its long brush ears. In earlier centuries, the lynx was hunted for its fur and almost wiped out."

Geschützte Tierart: Empörung über Luchs-Tötung in Tschechien

 

[amur leopard]

It's so sad when things like this happen. Is this like the Cecil of the Czech republic?
It even more saddening that he was a 'well-known' lynx, and that there are so few remaining. Here in the UK we hope that a reintroduction of this species will take place but if it were to happen we would have to be braced for killings such as these. Many people, especially farmers, don't want them back because they will threaten livestock and as a result they might kill them to avenge sheep they will lose as a result of the reintroduction.

 

[HOMIN96]

Is this like the Cecil of the Czech republic?

It's not even close, pretty much only hardcore fans of the big carnivore conservation project know the names.

Anyways, this issue is now further escalated, because the statement of the conservationists about the death was also shared on social media of Zoo Ostrava as they are long term supporters of the big carnivore conservation projects in Czechia, however, Ostrava is now under public pressure because it was revealed that they are euthanizing surplus young lynxes for many years as was revealed by new movement "Two Faces of Zoos". The goal of this movement is to expose and in best case, stop management euthanizing in zoos and Ostrava is (non-surprisingly as they are "pioneers" of this in Czechia) their most frequent target.

I absolutely hate to give them the spotlight, even though it is here, where they will receive hardly any new supporters, but it must be mentioned as there are people from within the zoos who are getting nervous about them growing in numbers. But it is important to mention here as an additional context.

 

[Jungle Man]

It's not even close, pretty much only hardcore fans of the big carnivore conservation project know the names.

Anyways, this issue is now further escalated, because the statement of the conservationists about the death was also shared on social media of Zoo Ostrava as they are long term supporters of the big carnivore conservation projects in Czechia, however, Ostrava is now under public pressure because it was revealed that they are euthanizing surplus young lynxes for many years as was revealed by new movement "Two Faces of Zoos". The goal of this movement is to expose and in best case, stop management euthanizing in zoos and Ostrava is (non-surprisingly as they are "pioneers" of this in Czechia) their most frequent target.

I absolutely hate to give them the spotlight, even though it is here, where they will receive hardly any new supporters, but it must be mentioned as there are people from within the zoos who are getting nervous about them growing in numbers. But it is important to mention here as an additional context.

What is your position in zoos euthanizing healthy animals? Like Ostrava, if these lynxes could be prepared, they would go to the wild and there would be no need to use euthanasia.

 

[HOMIN96]

What is your position in zoos euthanizing healthy animals? Like Ostrava, if these lynxes could be prepared, they would go to the wild and there would be no need to use euthanasia.

It is a very hard question with no definite answer, right now, I take it as a useful method to control the captive populations. Of course, reintroduction/transport to a different zoo should always be preferred, but those can be sometimes hard to manage.

In the case of Ostrava's lynxes, there is currently no active reintroduction program and the zoo doesn't want to sell them to the private sector as is their policy.

 

[Jungle Man]

It is a very hard question with no definite answer, right now, I take it as a useful method to control the captive populations. Of course, reintroduction/transport to a different zoo should always be preferred, but those can be sometimes hard to manage.

In the case of Ostrava's lynxes, there is currently no active reintroduction program and the zoo doesn't want to sell them to the private sector as is their policy.

Pretty interesting. The lynxes that are currently wild in Czech Republic were wild or captive? Or are offspring of reintroduced lynxes?

 

[HOMIN96]

Pretty interesting. The lynxes that are currently wild in Czech Republic were wild or captive? Or are offspring of reintroduced lynxes?

We have two separate populations, the western one in Šumava mountains is mostly a result of reintroduction programs here and in Germany. The eastern population is a result of natural migration from Slovakia.