Co-author Irina Rotenko
According to most Eurasian lynx researchers, the species is mainly characterised by solitary behaviour, except for the prolonged period when a mother stays with her kitten of the year. In our long‑term study of the Eurasian lynx, step by step and quite successfully, we aim to demonstrate a much greater degree of sociality in the species than previously assumed by other specialists.
Continue reading “Adult male lynx documented staying with a family group”Co-author Irina Rotenko
An at least eleven‑year‑old female lynx (we call her Aurelija) still reproduces successfully. This May she gave birth in a large treefall, where she had three kittens in the lair.
Continue reading “Rather old female lynx, Aurelija, has kittens again!”Co-author Irina Rotenko
In May we succeeded in filming parent wolves at a couch den with pups inside a large treefall. The parent couple appeared to dwell there in full welfare. However, quite suddenly both mother and father began relocating the pups from this den, completing the move within 74 minutes. Five hours later, the pups were again relocated one by one through the former den, but this time in the opposite direction.
Continue reading “Adult male lynx presence triggers long‑distance pup relocation in wolves”Co-author Irina Rotenko
In this extended post, we analyse multi‑annual (2000–2026) changes in the local badger population in Naliboki Forest, central‑western Belarus, in relation to fluctuations in the population density of the raccoon dog — an exotic invader that affects badgers in at least four major ways: earthing of hibernating badgers inside sleeping chamber of their setts, severe competition for carrion as the main early‑spring food, intensification of shared diseases, killing of small cubs (Sidorovich, 2011; Rotenko & Sidorovich, 2017; several posts in this blog).
Continue reading “How raccoon dogs, wolves and lynxes shape badger population dynamics in Naliboki Forest (2000–2026)”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 Aurelija. A Belgian volunteer once snow-tracked her with a kitten for several days. The volunteer’s name was Aurelija, and she asked us to name this mother lynx after her. We agreed.
Continue reading “At least ten-year-old female lynx Aurelija 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”
