In search of the majestic Eurasian Lynx

Just over a thousand years ago, the Viking Empire in Estonia came to an end. With their Pagan lifestyle and their rich spirit world, every February till April must have been a magical time. With the occasional Northern lights brightening the skies and the ghostly calls of lynxes echoing through the cold late winter nights, the forests and bogs of Estonia can be a place of magic. The Vikings are long gone, except for Odin’s grave. Legend says that Odin himself is buried on Osmussaar, one of the more than 2000 islands off the Estonian coast.

The cats that shared this ancient land with the Vikings are still very much alive. Estonia is a stronghold for the Eurasian lynx and the small country has a population of about 400-500 individuals. This comes down to a density of 1 to 3 cats per 100km2. If you compare their densities with the Iberian lynx who reaches densities of 8 (and sometimes much higher) per 100 km2, you start to understand why so few people get to see these elusive animals. Even if the densities are low, Estonia is still your best bet to see and possibly even photograph the Eurasian lynx in the wild in Europe. Late February till early April is by far the best time to look for the lynx. Eurasian lynxes are seasonal breeders (because of the climate they live in) and start calling for each other during this time of the year. Both male and female cats are very vocal during this period and their calls echo through the forest during the cold nights. If they get lucky and find a suitable mate, they can stay together for a few days and mate repeatedly in a secluded spot. Especially male lynxes cover extreme distances during this time of the year and this increases our chances to pick up on their tracks.

If the weather conditions permit it, snow tracking of lynxes will be offered during this trip. Snow tracking doesn’t give you a good chance to actually see the lynx but for physically fit clients it offers an amazing insight into the life of this secretive cat. You will be able to literally follow the lynx’s footsteps and see where it walked, marked, rested and maybe even hunted or socialized. Fresh snow is required for this activity so this can’t be guaranteed but is definitely possible under the right circumstances.

The goal of the trip is not to just get a sighting of a lynx, it is to experience and discover its world. Learn about lynx behavior and the entire ecosystem that supports their population. Other animals we might encounter are moose, roe deer, foxes, raccoon dogs, snow hares, ural, pygmy and tengmalm owls. Additionally, we will spend a morning or two to look for capercallies and white-tailed eagles. If the weather permits it and if there are fresh tracks there is always an off chance to encounter a Eurasian brown bear, but it has to be said that they are normally still hibernating during this time of year.

We work with a local contact who is a friend of ours and also a lynx researcher. He has great knowledge of the Lahemaa national park (which was the first national park in the Soviet Union) and regularly sees lynxes in his garden. Together with him, we will make a daily plan, based on lynx activity, the weather, and local Intel. The local wildlife is monitored with the help of camera traps and spoor surveys and this helps greatly in locating them.