Winter lynx Lynx lynx predation on semi‐domestic reindeer Rangifer tarandus in northern Sweden

• Published in: Wildlife Biology
• Main Authors: Pedersen, Vegar A., Linnell, John D.C., Andersen, Reidar, Andrén, Henrik, Lindén, Mats, Segerström, Peter
• Other Authors: Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Naturvårdsverket
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1999
• Subjects: Sarek; Lepus timidus; Northern Sweden; Rangifer tarandus; Lynx; Lynx lynx lynx
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.2981/wlb.1999.025; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.2981/wlb.1999.025; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2981/wlb.1999.025

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.