Wednesday 22nd January 2020

I head off to the tram station to make my way to Zurich Zoo. It’s a cold and foggy day and I follow directions towards the office reception to meet up with Jochen Lengger, Senior Curator at the zoo.

Jochen has a series of very handy presentations that I’m talked through in regards to captive breeding of Eurasian lynx.

In 2002 a European Studbook was created for the Eurasian lynx with a focus on the Northern and Carpathian subspecies, as these animals could be bred successfully due to the numbers held in captivity and present in wild populations.

195 Northern lynx are held in 67 institutions and 154 Carpathian lynx are held in 56 institutions around the world. Not all of the institutions are part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) or the Association of Zoos and Aquaria (AZA).

Only 78% of the ancestry of the Northern lynx held in captivity is known, whereas 93% of the Carpathian lynx ancestry is known. There are plans to undertake a genetic review of both populations. Currently, both have only been classified morphologically so errors in classification are likely.

Jochen notes that lynx breed successfully in suitable conditions, in well matched breeding pairs. However, trying to breed lynx when the animals are all kept closely together is unsuccessful as they become too stressed.

We discuss examples of captive breeding schemes for other larger cats, as any scheme used in situ to support a reintroduction programme would be largely novel. There are to date no examples of this to directly draw upon where breeding has been successful.

Jochen runs through the practicalities in terms of the number of animals that could be bred in captivity for release in the UK and training that may be required for hunting, socialising and physical fitness.

Jochen talks me through ZIMS, a programme used to manage studbooks. We also discuss the practicalities of protocols for lynx captive breeding, which would need to be established ahead of a reintroduction.

I’m then given a guided tour around the entire zoo as well as the new African exhibit, still under construction. I feel very spoilt, thanks very much Jochen!