IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Andr‚n, H.; Samelius, G.; Segerstr”m, P.; Sk”ld, K.; Rauset, G.R.; Persson, J. | |
| Mortality and poaching of lynx in Sweden | |
| 2011 Full Book | |
We described causes of mortality and survival rate for 216 radio-marked Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) followed for 621 radio-years in two different study areas in Sweden. The northern study area was located in the county of Norrbotten around Kvikkjokk and the southern study area was located mainly within northern ™rebro county. The main causes of mortality in adult Eurasian lynx in both study areas were anthropogenic, with starvation, intraspecific killing and disease having only a minor role. In the northern study area poaching and assumed poaching were the main cause of mortality in adult lynx (79 % of the mortality events), whereas poaching (including assumed poaching) and natural causes were equally important in subadults (45 %). In the southern study area natural causes, hunting and traffic were the main causes of mortality (62 % for these factors combined) and accounted for about twice the mortality caused by poaching and assumed poaching (29 %). The poaching rate (including assumed poaching) was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the northern study area (11.1 % ñ 2.2 % SE) than in the southern study area (3.4 % ñ 1.5 % SE). The estimated poaching rates were not significantly different between the two periods (1994-1999 versus 2000-2010) in neither the northern (p=0.94) nor the southern (p=0.15) study area. The estimated growth rates based on demographic data were not significantly different (p=0.30) from the observed change in the lynx population in either study area. Thus, the estimated rates of mortality (including assumed poaching) were probably not overestimated. If the two study areas are representative for the reindeer husbandry area and the area south of the reindeer husbandry area in Sweden, respectively, then the estimated number of lynx poached in the reindeer husbandry area would be around 77 lynx (ñ 16 lynx SE) per year and around 22 lynx (ñ 10 lynx SE) per year south of the reindeer husbandry area. To conclude, poaching is an important cause of mortality in lynx in Sweden, especially in the northern study area, and the poaching rate does not seem to have changed between two periods (1994-1999 versus 2000-2010). |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |