This old lynx rules the Börzsöny mountain – video

The lone lynx that is roaming the woods in Börzsöny has made another appearance. He seemed strong and energetic despite his advanced age. He knows well that he has no reason to fear anything, not even that one single wolf that also calls the Northern Hungarian mountain rage his home. 

Even though the lynx falls into the medium-sized cat category, it still has an impressive sturdy look. If you happen to bump into each other during your mountain hikes, you will probably think twice before you go “here, kitty kitty”. Europe’s largest cat does not look particularly cuddly with its 35-40 kg (77-88 pounds) heavy built and giant paws armed with long, sharp claws. On top of that, we are blessed with the Carpathian lynx, the largest member of the Eurasian lynx species which is native to European, Central Asian and Siberian forests. 

While its conservation status is classified as “least concern”, in post-Trianon Hungary, the lynx population had severely reduced due to overhunting. However, back in 2012, WWF reported that, after nearly a century, the lynx had returned to the Hungarian slopes thanks to a ban on hunting the wild cats in neighbouring Slovakia. The regulation made the predators more adventurous and encouraged them to expand their hunting area to Hungary. 

The lynx leads a solitary lifestyle sneaking and sulking in the dark and avoiding all sorts of human interaction (no petting, please!) therefore, spotting it out and about in the wild in broad daylight is a rare opportunity even for wildlife exports. The lynx unwittingly walked in front of their cameras by sheer luck. This year, it is the second time that the Börzsöny Foundation has shared footage of the lynx, which was taken by their automatic cameras. The first footage showed the lynx roaming its territory on a frosty February night while the most recent one was recorded during daytime at the end of March.

24.hu contacted Balázs Ferenci, a colleague of the Börzsöny Foundation, to learn more about this gracious predator.

The old king of the forest

Those who follow the local news about our lynxes (everyone needs a bit of a break from politics from time to time) might know that there are a handful of lynxes living in the pristine, boreal forests of the Northern Hungarian mountain range. Unfortunately, though, most of them lead a solitary life, there are no records of recently born kittens. There is currently only one lynx living in the protected, nearly 30-hectare Börzsöny region, the same that was recently recorded by the cameras of the Börszöny Foundation. Since he was spotted on the night of New Year’s Eve and then again on the 23rd of March, the wildlife experts named him Szilveszter Botond according to the Hungarian name day calendar. 

The unique pattern of his coat gives it away that it’s the same animal that was also seen on a 2017 footage which means he must be around 17-18 years old. Despite his advanced age, he still looks strong and energetic.

– said Balázs Ferenci to 24.hu. And then he added: “sadly, though, he is still single”.

Botond first showed up towards the end of 2005, when he was still a young fellow, around 1-2 years old. The expert cannot precisely determine his age, as the coat pattern changes as the animal grows older. Taking all that into consideration, the current age of the lynx must be estimated to be about 17-18 years old. The lifespan of the lynx living in the wild is approximately 15-17 years which means we are dealing with a true veteran. Luckily, he seems to be in excellent shape and condition, except for his slightly stiffer walk which can be due to the difficult terrain as well. Other than that he can beat any youngsters when it comes to hunting for deer. Botond would certainly make a great catch for any female lynx.