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Have you SEEN a Lynx ? ...
An appeal by what appeared to be a lone voice made a brief entry in the rec.animals.wildlife newsgroup on Feb. 5 (dated as sent Feb. 2) and then almost quietly faded away -- as quietly and scarcely as information pertaining to the Lynx exists! The Nowegian population of Euarsian Lynx currently stands at approx. 500 individuals whose lives are in peril because the Norwegian Government has authorized the hunting and killing of over 100 of them. The action is in response to a minority of farmer complaints stating the lynx is threatening their livestock of sheep. Old traditions, dating to the days when Norwegian farmers had limited resources and relied solely on their own production for survival are gone, but the old fear still exists like a nasty superstition which won't go away. This government has had full restitution measures in place for farmers who lose livestock to wildlife predation for a number of years now, but for some reason this does not "satisfy" the farmers, who may be thinking more in terms of financial gain* by obtaining lynx pelts, than mourning the loss of an occassional sheep.
Other lynx populations around the northern hemisphere of our world (which is its territorial domain) are also staggeringly low -- and some species are already extinct -- and still little information is available. The lynx seems to be the "forgotten", the "little known". Collective information tells us this majestic feline of the North with "padded snowshoe paws" has a staple diet of various rodents and particularly hares. In the northern region of Scandinavia the lynx has been known to occassionally prey on reindeer. In the southern and central region of Norway their diet includes occassional "raadyr" or "roe deer". The lynx tries to guard its food if possible, hide it and return to it until not a morsel is left. It is one of the predators that maintains population control over rodents. It seeks out weaker and sick individuals of a herd, felling them with swift strokes, and ultimately performs a service by maintaining a healthy herd. The lynx pelts are thick with luxuriant, frosty guard hairs and are highly valued in the fur trade and fashion industry. This is considered the prime reason for the scarceness of the animal in our world now. Hunters, wanting to be the sole predators of game, also blame excess kills on the lynx; a situation parallel with the false blame the wolf received and continues to receive to this day. The hunt was approved for commencement in February - THIS February - TODAY, TOMORROW, THE DAY AFTER - young cubs that are still dependent on their mother will suffer the most. The hunt criteria has not made an exception for females with young, and one can only consider the slow starvation and death by exposure to the elements of the cubs ... Ultimately, less than 400 lynx individuals could pose a threat to survival of this species in Norway. Research results referred by the Swedish biologist Stefan Jonsson indicate that nature's ecological balance as far as the lynx population is concerned has a "critical point" if hunting reduces the "natural" number of lynxes in an area by 25%. If more than this, the remaining lynxes are likely to become too scattered to breed successfully, and may become extinct in the area. Since we are talking about small numbers altogether in this case, and the quotas for hunting are given district by district (it is the sum of quotas that gives 104, and does not include the vulnerable cub or kitten population which would be an increase), statistical fluctuations may be significant, and 20% seems pretty close to the critical point. Actually, with only 500 lynxes in the entire country, any hunting at all might be too much. Clearly, notice of this tragedy came too late for groups and individuals to oppose the hunt prior to its announcement, but it is still possible to sound a LOUD, CLEAR, and VISIBLE VOICE opposing the kills for the remaining lynx members. The interactive petition page is on the Web NOW! This "sign on" site is located at: http://lynx.uio.no/jon/lynxform.html All you need to do is enter your name and address. The petition page provides a copy of a "default" message for you to read, and a letter-box area allows you to type a personalized message if you prefer. Pointers for further info and additional updates will be available at the bottom of the page in the near future. It is also possible to sign via e-mail if you prefer that. People who do not have direct Internet access, can send a fax. The manager of the Internet site lynx.uio.no, located in Norway, will deliver the petitions received to the attention of:
Miljøvernminister Guro Fjellanger We need Your voice. More importantly -- the Lynx needs You as a Friend.
SEND YOUR VOICE NOW
The Original Post to Usenet News
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Jon Wikne
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