the lynx - basic data
Environment
The lynx is a forest animal that thrives in mountainous terrain. Slopes are well liked as well as vast forests.
Habits
The home territory is up to 350 square kilometres. The lynx is active at night and rests daytime in its lair on slopes or in dense shrubs. It walks long distances each day, often around 20 kilometres.
Food
The most common prey are roe deer, hare, reindeer, grouses and capercaillie.
Reproduction
The mating period is March through April. The cubs, often two or three, are born in May-June. They follow the female for a year and become sexually mature at age two.
Population size
In the early 19th Century, the lynx was found all over Sweden, yet it was sparse in the northern part of the country. During the 19th Century, the lynx's numbers fell due to intensive hunting. A new law in 1927 mandated protection of the lynx. A small strain, near extinction, was left in northern Sweden. Today there are about 1,400 lynx in Sweden, spread across the country.
