Eurasian Lynx Project

L

LizzieEarl26

Member
Hey Everyone,

I wonder if anybody could help me. I am currently undertaking a research project at Newquay Zoo as part of my dissertation for my zoology degree.

I am observing the female Lynx's behaviour and working out which parts of the enclosure she uses the most. I hope in time to be able to help her settle down and become less stressed and stop hiding away.

If anyone has heard of this type of behaviour in Lynx before or even know of ways to help I would be very gratefull :)
 
I cant remember where but a zoo recently recived a pair of eurasian lynxs and put them on display after the quarintine period but all they did was hide. If im not mistaken the zoo shut down the area around the enclosure and let the lynxs adjust. once they had adjusted they slowly started letting people in the area: keepers the lynxs were familiar with followed by other keepers, they then slowly let in the public-a few people at a time-and then the lynxs slowly ajusted.

Hope this helps.
 
Most lynx sleep all day. The best you can do is to give them shady resting spot where lynx will be also visible to visitors. ;)
 
Could you try placing enrichment/feedings near the better viewing areas? I don't know what the enclosure is like for her, so don't know what the viewing is like.
Perhaps if you put a 'feeding post' with food hanging from it near a viewing area (are there any viewing windows to the enclosure?) it may entice her over.

The Lynx at Highlands was difficult to spot, so I can see the problem. If the zoo does talks with feedings, maybe the food can be placed in these areas. This also allows visitors to know when and where is the best time to spot her (though this may overcrowd her as talks are popular).

Another idea springs to mind. I don't know how she is fed at the moment, but I would say making sure her food is always in a different place (and rubbing the food around the enclosure to get the scent in different areas?) may encourage her to actively search for her food, thus she may wander the enclosure more looking for her next feeding?

I could be wrong with all of this (I am by no means an expert) but these seem like the sort of things that might make her more interested in other parts of the enclosure. (Obviously, if she is very shy then don't jeopodise privacy by forcing her to eat infront of massive crowds, maybe move the food around quiter parts of the enclosure and gradually start placing it in better viewing areas for the public).
 
LizzieEarl26 said:
Hey Everyone,

I wonder if anybody could help me. I am currently undertaking a research project at Newquay Zoo as part of my dissertation for my zoology degree.

I am observing the female Lynx's behaviour and working out which parts of the enclosure she uses the most. I hope in time to be able to help her settle down and become less stressed and stop hiding away.

If anyone has heard of this type of behaviour in Lynx before or even know of ways to help I would be very gratefull :)
Click to expand...

In 'The Shape of Enrichment', there was an article about a Giant Panda at the San Diego Zoo which was very inactive and spent a lot of time hiding from visitors. They tailored an enrichment programme to meet his needs involving things like scatter feeds and blood balls encouraging play and exploratory behaviour. Apparently this was very successful, so you could use a similar method with the female lynx.

This is a good site to look at if you want some ideas:

| The Fort Worth Zoo's Enrichment Online |

And for examples of techniques that have been successful in the past as well as general husbandry information, you could also try this:

http://www.kora.ch/malme/05_library...p_2004_Husbandry_guidelines_Eurasian_lynx.pdf
 
Interestingly I was at Newquay zoo possibly a year ago (can't remember exactly) and it was after all the visitors had gone and I was doing my final circuit when I remember seeing one of the lynx actually climbing/stumbling in one of the trees in the enclosure. This was the most active I had seen the lynx all day (apart from a feeding demonstration). It was interetsing that as it realised I was there it sort of fell from the tree and ran off....one of my many happy memories of newquay zoo.

For anyone that doesn't know here is a brief description of the newquay zoo lynx enclosure. It is sort of circular/octagonal and is half-caged. By this is mean that only about half the roof is enclosed. For the most part the enclosure is viewed through mesh and stand-off barrier. On the Left side of the enclosure is an indoor facility. In here the enclosure can be viewed through a cave with a viewing window. further around is a viewing window looking into the lynx indoor facility. There is also a very small flight of stairs leading to a small platform. Up these stairs is a glass bubble/pyramid. The enclosure's back fences are buit up halfway with varioud climbing facilities and the indoor facility, it is into the roof of this ledge-thing is where the bubble/pyramid can be found and the lynx are often sleeping against the fence. The enclosure features coniferous trees and a small pond (I think).

...Thinks may have changed but thats about all I can remember.
 
Thank you for all the replies, I really appreciate it!! :)

I am still carrying out observations at the moment and then in a few weeks hope to start incorporating subtle changes.

Liz
 
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