France's lynx population 'desperately' needs help to survive: Report
Lynx
France's beautiful wild cat, the Eurasian lynx, is in danger. Scientists have warned that the feline which was reintroduced to Switzerland in the 1970s will vanish from France if action isn't taken soon.
A genetic study published in the journal Frontiers in Conservation Science has shown that France's lynx population "desperately" needs help to survive.
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Nathan Huvier, the corresponding author, said that given the "rapid loss of genetic diversity, we estimate that this population will go extinct in less than 30 years."
According to him the species "urgently" needs new genetic material for its survival.
The estimated size of the speciesin France is merely 150 individuals. As per scientists, they are poorly connected to the much larger, healthier populations in Germany and Switzerland.
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As per Phys Org, experts have blamed a combination of poaching, car accidents and "inbreeding depression" for this suppressed growth. They also said that insufficient genetic diversity has led to problems with the species' reproduction and survival.
Huvier and his team collected genetic samples for a period of about 12 years, from 2008 to 2020. To avoid stress to an already suffering population, they only collected samples from injured, dead animals, or orphaned cubs. They managed to obtain 88 samples.
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"For us, this method is more ethical as there is no capture and thus stress induced for DNA sampling only," explained Huvier.
Scientists suggest that road signs warning of the lynx population in areas might help save them from road accidents. Additionally, replacing dead members of the population with individuals from healthier populations and the exchange of orphaned cubs between different wildlife rescue centres might help.
(With inputs from agencies)
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