2023-05-01 04:25:00
It is a walk in the forest that Miryam will remember for a long time. The walker finds herself face to face with the bodies of two dead animals. At first glance, she thinks she is facing big cats. But after mature reflection, she is sure of herself: they are indeed two lynxes.
We are on April 23, when Miryam, a 58-year-old from Fléronnaise, takes part in a march organized by ADEPS, the service responsible for promoting sport and physical education in the French Community: “I usually take part in these walks because it allows me to escape into nature. These are always joyful times.“A parenthesis, which she decided to share with her companion but also a special guest:”We also take with us our dog Volt, an Australian Shepherd. We take it everywhere, it’s a bit like our child.“
Miryam and her companion do not suspect it yet, but this moment will be far from being a beautiful memory. After a few minutes of walking, the couple are surprised to see their dog suddenly pull on the leash: “It is a rather wise and obedient dog. I told myself that if he acted like that, it was for a good reason. So I let him guide us.” After a few meters, his dog finally stops in front of a hollow, at the entrance of a hamlet: “This is where we found ourselves in front of two large dead animals. I was horrified. It’s strange to see such things. On closer inspection I thought it looked mostly like cats. I am very touched by all that relates to animals. To see only one dead is already shocking. But to see two! And on top of that lying next to each other… It’s really challenging.”
As Miriam observes the scene, it is now doubt that is gaining space in her head: “I directly wondered what could have caused the death of these two animals simultaneously. Their coat was in good condition, so I don’t think they were hit. It’s pretty crude to say, but there weren’t really any insects around. Which makes me think their deaths were pretty recent.. ” The crux of the problem remains above all to know what is the race of these two animals: “When I tell what I saw, I automatically speak of big cats. But looking back, I think they were way too big to be cats. It’s pretty unlikely to say, but I think they were lynxes.”
Lynxes in Belgium: myth or reality?
The last time a lynx was seen in Belgium was in autumn 2020 in the Semois valley, a huge area of wilderness in the Belgian Ardennes. A first for 300 years. This shows how rare this species is in Belgium. The lynx is also often called the ghost of the woods. To clarify her doubts, Miryam then directly contacts the environmental service of the municipality of Stoumont: “In any case, it was important for me to point it out. If they are lynx, it is essential to know it in order to allow their development. It is still a protected species! And it is also fundamental to shed light on this death. Understand if it is natural or not. What if it was poisoning ?”
Small lynx or big cats?
To be able to differentiate a cat from a lynx, it is necessary to dwell on three characteristics: the coat, the ears and the size. If it is a lynx, it will be larger, its ears will be particularly pointed and the coat spotted. However, there are cats that can come close to his measurements and thus be confusing. The maine coon, with its imposing look, measures on average nearly one meter, for 4 to 9 kilos. The savannah, meanwhile, is a little smaller with an average size of 45 centimeters, but still 10 kilos. It is especially its spotted coat, which most resembles the appearance of the lynx. Finally, the Highlander, called the mini-lynx, has the same characteristics. The main difference is mainly in the weight since the highlander measures 30 to 40 centimeters. In terms of size, it would therefore be the Maine coon that would come closest to the dimensions of the lynx. But this remains to be qualified since the coat is very different.
In the case of Miryam’s photo, it remains difficult to authenticate. However, she does not budge, these animals are very different from those she is used to seeing during her escapades in the forest: ” We generally come across the carcasses of wild boars, or even dead birds. But I had never seen that ! Even if our country does not have a real population of lynx, it would not be impossible that some could come from other countries, such as Germany for example. 5 years ago, the country set up a lynx reintroduction programme. In total, about twenty of them were released to allow the evolution of a viable population. It is therefore entirely possible that some of them may come to Belgium. The lynx can also travel more than 200 kilometers to settle in a new territory. The massif in which they evolve in Germany is located 150 kilometers from the Belgian border. The lynx measures at least between 80 and 130 centimeters.
So far, only one lynx has been seen in Belgium. However, for the walker, it is simply impossible: ” They were way too big to be cats. Their coat was also different from any cat I had ever seen. For the moment Miryam still has no news about her request for information. She still says she is still shocked by the sight of these two dead animals, and hopes to soon have her questions answered.
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