e-lessons Partners Cofinancers IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LYNX MALA GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA Of ice for Cooperation with NGOs LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN! Welcome to the Lynx Trail! You will meet lynx Mala, discover what kind of animal the lynx is and why it is endangered. Researcher Urša will reveal to you the challenges facing lynxes and how researchers approach them to learn about their behaviour. HI, MY NAME IS URŠA. Observe the world around you I'M A LARGE CARNIVORE and follow this mark: RESEARCHER. Help Mala and Urša find the answers to the questions marked with a green cloud and the question number in I AM MALA, the booklet: AN EURASIAN LYNX, THE BIGGEST Circle the letter that indicates 1? WILD CAT the correct answer and write IN EUROPE! it in the table at the end of the booklet. ? ? ? ? A For finding the correct password, you will receive a special prize at the hut Koča pri Jelenovem studencu. KOČEVJE 7 MAP OF 8 THE LYNX TRAIL ŽEPNA 6 CAVE The L T ynx T he L r ynx T ail is r 5 marked with signs f mark ea ed with signs f turing ea lynx head and is a good choice f lynx head and is a good choic or a w e f alk thr or a w ough the alk thr for f es or ts of K es oče ts of K vje oče . T vje he cir . T cular tr he cir ail s cular tr tarts in a f ail s or tarts in a f es or t es 4 clearing, near the hut Koča pri Jeleno clearing, near the hut K v oča pri Jeleno em s v tudencu. em s 3 It has eight thematic s It has eight thema ta tic s tions, wher ta e y tions, wher ou can learn e y inter int es er ting f es acts about the w ting f orld of lynx acts about the w es. orld of lynx 2 1 HUT JELENOV STUDENEC S RESPECT NATURE START Don't leave rubbish in nature. Walk on a marked path. Don't pick wild flowers, mushrooms or moss. Be kind to nature and people. Don't speak too loudly so you don't disturb the animals. KOČEVSKA REKA FILL IN YOUR IDENTITY CARD. I AM Name: LYNX MALA. Name: MALA WHO ARE YOU? Species: Species: EURASIAN LYNX (Lynx lynx) Size: Height: , 70-130 CM IN LENGHT ABOUT 65 CM IN HEIGHT Weight: Weight: 12-35 KG Favourit Favourite food: e food: ROE DEER What I like to do the most... ALLEN TREES What I like to do the mos t… I LOVE TO WALK ON ROCKS AND F VES. OR TO REST ON ROCKY SHEL CLICK ! PORTRAIT OF THE LYNX The Eurasian lynx is the largest wild cat in Europe. It is as big as 3 domestic cats. You can recognise it by its cat-like head with triangular ears ending in distinctive tufts. It has sideburns on its cheekbones, which make the head look even bigger. It has an 2? elongated body with long legs and a short tail with HOW CAN YOU a black tip. RECOGNIZE ME Take a good look at EASILY? lynx Mala and find 1? a photo of her. S by the long bushy tail L by the tufts on the ears A by the black fur The lynx's fur is brown. It has a unique pattern of spots and dots. Every lynx has a different pattern, just like G A humans have different fingerprints. This characteristic N of lynxes is also used by researchers who photo-graph lynxes in the wild using automatic THIS METHOD cameras. Through the captured photos, IS CALLED they can differentiate PHOTO- individual lynxes from E T I IDENTIFICATION. each other and count them. S L O THE DIET OF A LYNX The lynx is a predator and is exclusively carnivorous. It pre-But a roe deer is big WHAT SHOULD fers to eat roe deer. It has sharp claws and strong teeth that and a lynx can't eat I DO WITH help it catch its prey. It does not chase its prey as the wolf it all at once! THE LEFTOVERS does. Its heart muscle is not strong enough to run long ? distances. The lynx hunts from an ambush, which means it L I drag the prey up a tree tries to approach a deer as quietly and inconspicuously as S I bury it and cover it with leaves possible before making a swift dash towards it. It can P I put it in the fridge retract its claws into the skin folds of its paw pads. This allows it to approach the prey silently, and then pounce on 4? it swiftly. Help Mala find her way to her favourite lunch. 3? WE PLACE CAMERAS NEXT TO THE REMAINS OF THE PREY AND WATCH TO SEE WHO FINDS IT. L T E A LYNX'S LIFE Lynx are hard to spot in the wild, so researchers look for their tracks, hair, scats, The lynx hunt and live alone. Nevertheless, they commu-and other signs of their presence. nicate with each other in their own language and recognise each other all the time. This conversation or commu-6? nication takes place through smell. Lynx mark their home HELP ME FIND area with urine, we say they mark their territory. Marking LYNX TRACKS. spots are usually prominent, upright features such as young conifers, stumps, distinctive large rocks and abandoned forest huts. Other lynxes, for whom the message is intended, quickly notice such locations. 5? R What kind of lifestyle does a lynx have? S the lynx is a solitary animal O Z the lynx lives in a pair K the lynx lives in large groups HMMM..... AHAA!!! NAME: KATALIN S GENDER: MALE AGE: 4–5 YEARS K A LYNX'S HOME Researchers also use telemetry to monitor the movements The lynx likes to walk on fallen logs, along the edges of of lynx. They put a special collar around the lynx's neck ridges, and use rocks as vantage points. The karst terrain, that sends information about the animal's exact positions. with rocks covered in moss in some places, allows it to move For this purpose, a box trap is placed in a suitable location. quietly. Do you remember why this is very important for the When a lynx is caught in a trap, an alarm is triggered, and lynx? It often catches its prey in karst basins and sinkholes, the researchers rush to the scene, tranquillise the lynx, fit it where the rugged surface makes it difficult for it to escape. with a telemetry collar and release it into the wild. The They like to use the larger rocky cliffs and ridges, from telemetry collar sends researchers precise data on the where they have a good view of the surrounding area, as animal's movements. their resting places during the day, when they stay as far away from humans and their settlements as possible. Help Urša choose the right tool to monitor 7? the movements of the lynx. Where could a lynx rest? Draw it! B V WHICH TOOL SHOULD I CHOOSE TO KNOW WHERE OUR LYNX IS WALKING? R EXPLORE AND TEST T YOUR SENSES! WHA DO YOU SEE, HEAR, TOUCH AND SMELL? I SEE DRAW IT! LYNX'S SUPER SENSES The lynx is hard to spot in the wild. With its large, I HEAR flexible ears, it quickly hears us and retreats. As a predominantly nocturnal hunter, its eyes are well adapted to twilight, but it can also see well during the day. It relies mainly on hearing and sight to hunt, while smell is less important. But it can sniff out messages from other lynx and quickly tell if they are a rival or a female ready to mate. I TOUCH WHY CAN I HUNT AT NIGHT? 8? I SMELL T because of large ears with tufts E because my eyes are adapted to low light conditions J because I smell prey quicker at night LYNX KITTENS Krka 5 Lynx are solitary, socialising only during the mating season, from mid-February to the end of March. During this time, the male can travel long distances in search of 4 KOČEVJE a female. In May, the female gives birth to two or three kittens who are blind and deaf, so she hides them in a 6 ANČNA safe place. These are usually rock crevices, rock IV GORICA overhangs or the roots of fallen trees. She raises her youngsters alone. In August, they grow large enough for the female to lead them to her prey. They stay with their RIBNICA 1 10 KM mother until the next mating season. GROSUPLJE 3 2 9? HOW LONG DO Iška THE CUBS STAY WITH 3 eja THE MOTHER LYNX? ogether I 2 months ory of lynx T en Mala L 10 months 3 OR A FEMALE oatia K 2 years Lake emale errit o kitt Cerknica o Cr or a f eja and lunch t e of lynx Goru alk t ers the t OOKING F es birth t RAKEK ching f e with T elease sit eja giv GORU L 1. R 2. A short w 3. Sear 4. Goru ent 5. Dat 6. T CERKNICA LYNX IN TROUBLE HOW CAN Did you know that the lynx in Slovenia is in trouble? In PEOPLE HELP the past, lynx disappeared from our forests and hunters LYNX IN TROUBLE? reintroduced them to the area about 50 years ago. 11? Because they were few in number and did not interact with lynx from other areas, they mated with each other, which means that very soon they started to mate with B nothing can be done their relatives, which is called inbreeding. If two related N by introducing new lynx lynxes mate, there is an increased risk of disease E we don't need lynx at all occurrence and survival and reproductive success are reduced. This is what is happening to our lynx, which is why they need our help for the second time. OF COURSE THERE IS A SOLUTION! WE CAN BRING What is the biggest threat 10? IN NON-RELATED ANIMALS to our lynx at the moment? AND SAVE THE SPECIES Y inbreeding FROM EXTINCTION! G lack of suitable prey V loss of habitat POPULACIJA SO REŠEVANJE RISOV OSEBKI ISTE VRSTE, KI ŽIVIJO Iz katerega gorovja so Da bi rešili risa pred ponovnim NA DOLOČENEM OBMOČJU, SU izumrtjem, so v projektu LIFE Lynx doselili rise v okviru V DOLOČENEM ČA v Slovenijo in Hrvaško pripeljali več LIFE Lynx? novih risov. Mala je potomka prvega A iz Karpatov doseljenega risa Goruja - to je dokaz, K iz gorovja Ural da so se doseljeni risi dobro vključili L iz Alp v populacijo! 12? A POPULATION CONSIST LYNX RESCUE From which mountain HE SAME OF INDIVIDUALS OF T range did the lynx, ARTICULAR SPECIES LIVING IN A P To save the lynx from extinction, the which were ranslocated LIFE Lynx project has brought several AREA AT A PARTICULAR TIME. within the LIFE Lynx new lynxes to Slovenia and Croatia. project, come? Mala is the offspring of the first introduced lynx, Goru – proof that the L from the Alps introduced lynx have integrated well K from the Ural Mountains into the population! X from the Carpathian 12? Mountains P.N. C A R P H S L O V E SLOVAKIA A N I A ATTENTION! T LIVE ANIMALS IA S N A MY MOTHER TEJA I N A R FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM O M ONE OF THEM, MEOW! LYNX GORU, WAS AT FIRST SIGHT. I, LYNX ABLE TO RUN MALA, WAS BORN FAR AWAY IN THE THE FASTEST AND JUMP THE FROM THEIR CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS FARTHEST. LOVE. LIVED MANY STRONG AND HEALTHY LYNX. WHY DO WE NEED LYNX? The lynx is an umbrella species – it needs large areas to live. If we protect the lynx, we also protect its habitat and all the other plant and animal species that live there. The lynx is protected in Slovenia. Let's preserve it for future generations! Under the umbrella, also draw other species that we protect by conserving the lynx. THE SOLUTION TO THE PRIZE QUIZ Now you know a lot of new things about lynx! Run to the Hut Koča pri Jelenovem studencu for your well-deserved prize! In case the lodge is not open, you can collect your prize at one of the tourist information centres in Kočevje (Hostel Bearlog, Camp Jezero, TIC Železnica). 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 THE ! 9 10 11 12 MY DAY WITH LYNX Write and draw what you liked most about the Lynx Trail. Oh my, lynx Mala has lost her colours. Colour it! e-lekcije Partnerji / Partners Sofinancerji / Cofinancers GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA Of ice for Cooperation with NGOs Title IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LYNX MALA Authors Irena Kavčič, Nina Jankovič, Ana Pšeničnik Illustrations Samo Jenčič Design Folio d.o.o. Publisher University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department Of Biology www.lifelynx.eu st 1 online english edition This publication is part of the project LIFE Lynx – with financial support from the European Union's LIFE programme. Ljubljana, November 2023 Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 171588867 ISBN 978-961-7215-01-4 (PDF) Document Outline Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16