Lynx cubs in Carinthia and Upper Austria

One cub was seen in the Carnic Alps near the border with Italy, and the other in Upper Austria’s Limestone Alps.

The mothers are believed to be Kora and Jura, who were relocated from Switzerland to Austria in 2011 and 2014, as part of a conservation project.

The reclusive wild cats, who mainly hunt roe deer and chamois, were extinct for 100 years but are gradually being reintroduced to their natural habitat through breeding programmes in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, France, Switzerland and Austria.

The WWF says that Austria has a special role as a hub for networking different lynx populations and keeping the gene pool diverse.

Recently a male lynx, Alus, was reported missing in Carinthia and conservationists are concerned that he was shot by poachers.