The predation behaviour of six lynx Lynx lynx family groups, i.e. adult females with dependent kittens, was studied using radio-tracking and snow-tracking in the Sarek area of northern Sweden during winter 1995/96 and 1996/97. One hundred and six daily radio-locations were obtained, and 340 km of intervening tracks were followed in the snow. Forty-one scats were collected, and 57 hunting attempts, 37 of which were successful, were recorded. Semi-domestic reindeer Rangifer tarandus contributed over 90% to lynx ingested meat calculated from both scats and kills. Eighty-three percent of hunting attempts on reindeer, and 53% of attempts on small prey species, mainly Lagopus sp. and mountain hares Lepus timidus, were successful. Four incidents of multiple-killing of reindeer were documented. Reindeer were generally in poor body condition, with an average femur marrow fat content of 27%. Lynx spent an average of three nights at each reindeer kill-site. Reindeer were less completely consumed than small prey (61% vs 99%). The amount of meat eaten from a reindeer was proportional to the number of lynx-nights on the kill. An overall kill rate of one reindeer per five days was calculated. We concluded that reindeer are a very important food source for lynx in winter, which potentially could lead to problems in resolving the camivore-livestock conflicts in the region.
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1 December 1999
Winter lynx Lynx lynx predation on semi-domestic reindeer Rangifer tarandus in northern Sweden
Vegar A. Pedersen,
John D.C. Linnell,
Reidar Andersen,
Henrik Andrén,
Mats Lindén,
Peter Segerström
Wildlife Biology
Vol. 5 • No. 4
1999
Vol. 5 • No. 4
1999
camivore-livestock conflicts
diet
Lynx lynx
predation
Rangifer tarandus
semi-domestic reindeer