Silves-born lynx journeys 500 kilometres back to Portugal

Two lynx from the Silves breeding centre, brothers Kahn and Kentaro, both were released in the centre of Spain near Toledo.

One ended up 500 kilometres north east in the vineyards of Rioja while Khan headed home to Portugal swimming across the Tagus and Guadiana rivers en route.

Released in November 2014, Kahn’s subsequent journey of more than 500 kilometres was tracked by a GPS device attached to special collar as part of the Life+Iberlince project which recorded both animals regularly travelling 25 kilometres in a day.

Kahn arrived back home at the end of May and the project coordinators said the journeys the pair undertook, albeit in opposite directions,  is nothing unusual for the species which are adept at surviving in mountainous and inhospitable terrain.

The rabbit, staple diet of the lynx, is generally in short supply due to a recent killer disease and it is now clear that the lynx can manage to adapt to other food sources such as rodents and deer and survive in a variety of environments.

See: http://www.iberlince.eu/index.php/eng

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