Talia, one of three female Eurasian lynxes released in May 2023 under the ULyCA2 project (Urgent Lynx Conservation Actions) in Tarvisio, Italy, she gave birth to two puppies. Thanks to the information deriving from the radio collar it was possible to locate the den and ascertain the presence of the two little ones: the genetic samples taken from the puppies will be useful to identify the father of the litter and will allow, if resampled in the future, to monitor the movements and survival of newborns over the next few years.
The ULyCA2 project, supported by the WWF with the involvement of the Carabinieri Forestali and Progetto Lince Italia, aims to strengthen the small lynx population present in the eastern Alps, with the aim of creating a viable population of this predator in our country too. The first step to achieve the goal was the translocation in spring 2023 of 5 individuals (3 females and 2 males) to the Italian Julian Alps. The species is threatened by its small population size and the resulting genetic impoverishment, by widespread environmental fragmentation in the Alps and by illegal killings, as demonstrated by the case of Sofia, another of the females released last year and killed by a gunshot in Austria.
The news of the birth of the two puppies confirms that the path taken is the right one. The WWF confirms its commitment on the front line and will support the activities for the recovery of the lynx population in the Eastern Alps also in the next 3 years, from 2025 to 2027. The effectiveness of the actions implemented increases the hope of seeing the lynx occupy a primary role in the environmental balance as the apex predator of the mountain ecosystems of our Alps.
