You may have heard about the lynx who escaped from Dartmoor Zoo by chewing through his enclosure fencing (that must have hurt him). This had never happened before at this zoo. The cat is two-years-of-age. He had barely arrived at Dartmoor zoo when he escaped. His mother remained at his former home at Port Lympne Reserve in Kent. The distance between the two is around 250 miles.
The two-year-old young male’s name is Flaviu. He is still at large. They believe he is not too far from the zoo. Dartmoor is a very large, wild area where he could no doubt survive quite easily by hunting in the usual way.
Those searching for him have decided to play recordings of his mother’s calls to see whether it lures him towards those searching for him. Flaviu has been described as a mummy’s boy. That’s interesting.
The books tell us that almost always young lynx continue to travel with their mother until they are 10 months old. However, there is one observation of a mother still travelling with a two-year-old young. So it is possible that this young male was still strongly connected to his mother. Therefore it is also possible that he wishes to return to the maternal home.
In the books there’s nothing to suggest that a mother would call her young when he is two years of age. At this age the offspring are independent, having left their mother’s range and searching for an unoccupied area in which to settle.
I’m not convinced that playing a recording of his mother will succeed. In addition, the former zoo where he lived have sent samples of his mother’s bedding. I presume that the scent may attract him and lure him out of hiding.
The latter idea is probably better because this species of wild cat communicates with their neighbours principally through scent marks.
I suppose the question that may come to the minds of visitors is why was this young male cat separated from his mother with whom he was very close bearing in mind that it was just possible that at two years of age he was not quite ready to be independent. Perhaps he was sent away to soon.
This sounds more like a case of throwing a predator into an unfamiliar territory without acclimating him properly than a search for his mother. Lynx are solitary animals. Unnatural behaviors do occur with captive breeding though.
Yes, it could be the case. Apparently the lynx has been feeding from food put down by the zoo keepers so it seems he is not that far from the zoo he escaped from.
Yes. It sounds to me that he was ripped away from his mother way too early. She didn’t have the time to provide the proper skills he would need to be without her. They need to be reunited for a while.
He needs his mommy.
For skeptics who don’t believe in the mother/baby cat memory…it is keen. I deal with mother cats all of the time that groom and love on their adult kits all of the time.
Perhaps he was sent away to soon? [YES he Was]
My domestic Maine Coon ‘MaMa-Theo’ nursed one of her babies for almost 5 month’s. this cat’s name is Zoe & she is sensitive and shy and still dependent at the age of 10. Each of Theo’s females are still here with her all they are all unique individuals***
My deepest hope is that they find ‘Flaviu’ and return him to his MaMa; but we live in a selfish world. He is the type that could quickly starve.