A lynx has been shot dead in France in a suspected killing by poachers, local officials said Tuesday. The body of the lynx was found on December 31st in the Jura mountains and an autopsy showed the big cat was shot.
A criminal investigation has been opened and the killers risk up to three years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros ($185,000). So far, police haven’t caught anyone.
The killing of one of the estimated 150 lynx believed to live in France is a “serious blow for the population”. In 2020, two lynx were also killed.
Lynx are the only big cat species to live in the wild in France. Some hunters hate the rare animals because of the large amount of prey they eat.
Two-thirds of France’s lynx population lives in the Jura and the rest is concentrated in the Alps, with a sporadic population in the Vosges mountains.
