How to protect the last lynx in France? The Ministry of Ecological Transition has launched a public consultation on the subject. It is open on the internet until Wednesday. Lynxes are indeed classified on the red list of mammals in danger of extinction.
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The Eurasian lynx is this spotted, pointy-eared feline that lives in forests and there are less than 200 left in France. They live mainly in the Jura, they are more rarely found in the Vosges, and the Alps.
The species is all the more vulnerable, as the female gives birth to only two or three kittens per year. Another problem is that the lynx is threatened by urbanization and the destruction of its habitat. But above all, it is less well known, he is frequently the victim of collisions with cars or trains. Each year an average of seven lynxes die from collisions. It is the first known cause of death for this endangered species. Hence the public consultation launched on the internet by thee Ministry of Ecological Transition. Consultation open until Wednesday, October 27.
It is important to protect lynx because, as a predator, it plays a crucial regulatory role in the functioning of forest ecosystems. The lynx feeds in fact mainly on wild animals. It sometimes suffers from a bad reputation but in general it stays away from populated areas and rarely attacks domestic herds. To prevent it from disappearing from the territory, around fifteen priority actions have therefore been identified, including the development of corridors which allow them to cross roads. There is hope of being able to restore the species because at the beginning of August, two lynx kittens were born in the Vosges mountains, a first since the 17th century.