Lynx Released in Eastern France

Gilles Moyne and his team at the Athénas Center in L'Etoile, France, released a young male lynx named Melchior into a forest in the Doubs region. The team tranquilized Melchior and fitted him with a GPS collar before transporting him over 100 kilometers from the rescue center.

Melchior and his sister were orphaned at about six months old and discovered by Yoni Kuenzi through his camera traps. Kuenzi noticed the young lynx were struggling to hunt and behaving aggressively towards domestic animals. The Athénas Center raised the pair in a large enclosure, preparing them for independent life.

With fewer than 200 lynx remaining in France, each successful release is vital for the endangered species. Researchers continue to track Melchior’s movements with the GPS collar, but his long-term survival and ability to establish a territory remain uncertain. The Athénas Center plans further releases as they rescue and rehabilitate more lynx.