lynx – Zoology by Vadim Sidorovich

At least ten-year-old female lynx Aurelja has two kittens this year

Co-author Irina Rotenko

Eight years ago, we began following an adult female lynx in the central-southern part of Naliboki Forest, in the localities of Jamna, Budy, and Barki, covering an area of about 40–60 square kilometers. We named her Aurelja. A Belgian volunteer once snow-tracked her with a kitten for several days. The volunteer’s name was Aurelja, and she asked us to name this mother lynx after her. We agreed.

Again, higher survival of wolf pups in the conditions of lower numbers of lynxes and brown bears in summer 2025

Co-authors: Louise Giovannelli and Irina Rotenko

From mid-August to the end of October, we closely monitored the wolf families that had been registered as denning in Naliboki Forest (central-western Belarus) in late spring of this year. In addition to our spring findings, we discovered in early autumn that one breeding group had previously gone unnoticed. This group exhibited double-breeding behavior.

Something outstanding about breeding in lynxes

Co-author Irina Rotenko

Over two decades ago, for the first time, I encountered a lynx family’s tracks showing that the mother had very small kittens in mid-December. The kittens’ footprints were almost half the size of a typical kitten’s at this time of year. A few years later, I observed this phenomenon again.

Adult male assistance in lynxes in Belarus: ideas and inferences

Co-author Irina Rotenko

In mammals, it is not uncommon for adult males to assist mothers or engage in continuous fathering, and the lynx species Lynx lynx shows such behavior as well.

One more case of lynx denning

Recently, another former lynx den was discovered, which was active in the months of June and July.

Accommodating a yearling male lynx in the original den where it was reared

Co-author Irina Rotenko

At the start of June, we discovered wolf pup tracks alongside numerous lynx footprints nestled between the root plates of two toppled spruces. We installed a camera trap at this location. Following our visit, the wolf pack seemed to have moved elsewhere. The camera trap documented numerically repeated visits by a yearling male lynx.

Tracking the denning behavior of a model female lynx during the summer of 2024

Co-author Irina Rotenko

In mid-May 2023, an adult female lynx, whom we refer to as Mikhalina, gave birth within a densely layered treefall spanning approximately three hectares. She had three kittens. The following two photos depict the treefall.

Observational insights: lynxes and wolves utilizing road pipes in Naliboki Forest

Co-authors: Alieksandr Mysiev, Irina Rotenko and Dmitry Mysiev

In the winter of 2023-2024, we’ve captured two enlightening series of footage featuring large road pipes, remnants of Soviet-era construction, now seamlessly integrated into the forest’s landscape. These structures, though abandoned by humans, have found new purpose as integral parts of the local ecosystem, frequently visited by various animal species.

Afeared wolf is investigating a lynx marking spot

Co-author Irina Rotenko

In this blog we have presented our own materials on the interference between wolves and lynxes in Naliboki Forest, the north-western Belarus in several quite large posts before.

Long-term frequent usage of a particular site by lynxes

Co-author Irina Rotenko

In Naliboki Forest (the central-northern Belarus) as well as in other habitats in an individual lynx home range there are quite a lot sites, which are used by the individual lynx for a number of purposes.

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