Three lynx were born at the Montreal Biodôme on May 1st. “The kittens and their mother are working well,” the organization said in a statement, adding that the young children are energetic and their mother gives them all the maternal care they need.
This is the second time the parents, who are 7 years old (female) and 8 years old (male) respectively, have bred. Their last spread was in 2016.
Biodôme teams follow a strict protocol to respect the silence of newborns and allow the mother to breastfeed and groom them without interruption.
A camera allows the small family to observe, which remains invisible until the youngsters are ready to explore their surroundings in complete safety.
So far, doctors have not determined their gender, but they should establish it in the coming weeks.
The little lynx will make their first public appearance during the summer.
The mother arrived at Biodôme in January 2015, after her mother was hit by a car in the Chibougamau sector.
The father was born in Biodôme in 2013, from a pair of lynx rescued from a fur farm in 2006.
Biodôme participates in a species survival program of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The reproduction of the Biodôme lynx contributes to the growth of the captive population and to its genetic diversity.
This program keeps a population under human care in good genetic health. These lynx could be an insurance population in case the population in the wild suffers a significant decline.can be read in the press release.
Since 2012, at least 9 baby lynx births have contributed to the species survival program, which is not endangered in Canada, despite a decline in the number of individuals in some regions of its coverage.
Source: Radio-Canada
