Co-authors: Irina Rotenko and Vintses’ Sidorovich
Yesterday we found another lynx lair situated once again in a treefall beneath the crowns of several large fallen spruces.
Continue reading “Behavioural breakthrough: adult male lynx staying with kittens in the lair”Co-author Irina Rotenko
Denning of the Eurasian lynx, as well as its reproduction in general in non‑rocky, more or less flat regions of Eurasia—where most individuals of the species live—remains an enigmatic aspect of its behaviour and ecology. Gradually, we have become quite advanced in investigating these hidden traits of the species, having already found more than twenty lynx lairs. Step by step, we are moving toward publishing a comprehensive analysis of the concealed features of Eurasian lynx reproduction.
Continue reading “One more finding of a lynx lair”Co-author Irina Rotenko
Today in Naliboki Forest we revealed one more case of lynx kitten stays with the mother in the mid-April.
Continue reading “One more case of lynx kitten stay with the mother in April”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.
Continue reading “At least ten-year-old female lynx Aurelja has two kittens this year”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.
Continue reading “Again, higher survival of wolf pups in the conditions of lower numbers of lynxes and brown bears in summer 2025”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.
Continue reading “Something outstanding about breeding in lynxes”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.
Continue reading “Adult male assistance in lynxes in Belarus: ideas and inferences”Recently, another former lynx den was discovered, which was active in the months of June and July.
Continue reading “One more case of lynx denning”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.
Continue reading “Accommodating a yearling male lynx in the original den where it was reared”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.
Continue reading “Tracking the denning behavior of a model female lynx during the summer of 2024”
Zoology by Vadim Sidorovich 