This month sees the start of an illegal trophy hunt for the Swedish lynx – a protected species under European Union environmental law.
This year, 87 lynxes will be shot – a decrease in the number killed last year when 139 of the animals were slaughtered. In 2023 a record number of 188 lynxes were killed, with the country’s lynx population now estimated at 1,276.
The hunt takes place during the animal’s mating season when it emits powerful shrieks at night to attract a mate – which also alerts the trophy hunting parties.
Hunting is officially allowed when lynx might kill domestic livestock, especially reindeer and sheep. In 2023, 89 out of Sweden’s estimated 340,000 sheep were killed or wounded by these big cats.
Hunt groups say the lynx is seen as a competitor to prey such as roe deer, a species that hunters want to keep their right to kill and there is also a demand for trophies to hang on the wall.
Cruel Killing
Most lynx are killed by hunters who allow gun dogs to chase them up a tree, where they are then shot. Other methods include encircling the cat and then using dogs to flush them out from cover. Some lynx are still killed by trapping them in boxes, where they are finally shot.
‘Why hunt lynx at all?’ said Magnus Orrebrant, Chairman of the Swedish Carnivore Association. ‘This hunt exists only to satisfy hunters. A massive majority of Swedes want the magnificent lynx to roam free in our nature.’
‘Lynx are also beneficial to us humans, since they keep the roe deer populations in check and in better health, at the same time they lower the risk for traffic accidents.’
Public opinion surveys say 80 per cent of Swedes are supportive of the lynx, which is the largest wild cat native to Europe
‘The lynx is an iconic part of Europe’s natural heritage, since before the Ice Age,’ Orrebrant said.
‘In many European countries, lynx are seen as valuable and important natural assets. Lots of work and funds have been put into reintroducing lynx and to help re-establish local lynx populations.
‘In Spain, the EU and the Spanish government have together invested over 130 million Euros over 20 years, into bringing back the Iberian lynx. In contrast, Sweden instead works hard to lower its lynx numbers as far down as possible, illegally, but without getting fined by the EU for it.’
A Breach of EU Conservation Laws?
A formal complaint to the EU Commission about the lynx hunts was filed by the Swedish Carnivore Association in March 2024. Nothing has yet happened in Brussels despite the lynx hunt being a clear violation of the EU Habitats Directive, say environmentalists.
According to the EU Habitats Directive, a member state may not have fewer numbers of individuals of a protected species than it had when it joined the EU. Statistics from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) shows that there were around 2000 lynx in 1995 when Sweden joined the European block..
‘The lynx hunt denies Swedes and the citizens of other EU Member States their legal right to expect wildlife diversity and functioning ecosystems, which the EU Habitats Directive was designed to safeguard,’ concluded Orrebrant.
The Swedish Carnivore Association says it recommends the catching and reintroduction of lynx to other countries, as the species has lately been reintroduced to Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, France, Italy, Czechia, Germany, Poland and Austria.
