An unusual visitor arrived at the Nature Rescue Centre in Oudsbergen (Limburg) this week: a female lynx from Lithuania. Due to a combination of too little exercise and poor nutrition, the animal is struggling with severe obesity. She weighs around 34 kilograms, almost twice as much as a healthy lynx of her species.
Care for severely obese Lithuanian lynx at Limburg animal shelter ahead of possible trip to the UK
Colin Clapson
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12 years ago local people found the lynx when she was still a cub. ‘Since then, the animal has been fed an incorrect diet, causing her to become severely overweight,’ says Frederik Thoelen of the Nature Rescue Centre in Oudsbergen. ‘In the wild, a female of her species would weigh about half her weight.’
The Lithuanian government recently confiscated the animal. ‘After staying at a temporary shelter in Lithuania, she was transferred here. The Lithuanian nature association arranged the transport,’ explains Thoelen. ‘Fortunately, the animal can be kept in an outdoor cage. The isolation that was required in Lithuania is not necessary.’
The home provided to the lynx at the Nature Rescue Centre is temporary. ‘We are still looking for a permanent home for the animal. One option that is being discussed is for her to move to the United Kingdom. There she could receive a place in a shelter, but the coming weeks will show whether that is actually possible,’ concludes Thoelen.