After sheep attacks, the canton of Schwyz has ordered the shooting of a lynx. The animal was only released in May.
What happened? The canton of Schwyz has authorized the shooting of a lynx because it killed nine sheep in a short time on an alpine pasture in the Muotatal. The government hopes that this shooting will prevent additional damage. A permit from the federal government is in place, and wildlife officers are on duty.
The lynx from the Muotatal shows atypical behavior. The wildcat rarely attacks sheep and other domesticated animals. (Symbolic image)
Canton Schwyz
Why is this enough for a shooting? The lynx from the Muotatal shows very atypical behavior. It is rare for a lynx to eat sheep and other domesticated animals. According to the predator foundation Kora, the shy wildcat usually feeds almost exclusively on wild animals. “This is not what we envision for a wild lynx,” says Manuel Wyss, the hunting administrator of the canton of Schwyz. Additionally, the lynx does not even consume the killed sheep but instead goes on to kill additional animals. To preserve the good reputation of the lynx population among the public and to protect the sheep, this decision was made in consultation with the federal government and the Kora foundation. “I wish it were different,” says Wyss.
In the canton of Schwyz, there has never been a lynx shooting.
How often does this occur? Authorizing the shooting of a lynx is extremely rare. The animal is protected in Switzerland and may only be hunted in exceptional cases. Such an exception occurs when a single lynx kills many domesticated animals. “This shooting is a premiere for the canton of Schwyz,” says Wyss. In other cantons, it has occurred occasionally.
What do we know about the lynx? The animal in question is not unknown in the canton of Schwyz. It is one of three male lynxes that were rescued as orphans and raised in the Goldau Zoo a year ago. In May 2024, they were released back into the wild. Since then, their location has been monitored via GPS and transmitted every six hours. “After the release, there were no indications that the lynx could become problematic,” says hunting administrator Wyss. They had intentionally released it as far away from civilization as possible. “However, it then wandered far and ended up on this alpine pasture with sheep in the Muotatal.”
In May, three young male lynxes were released in Obwalden and Schwyz. Among them is the animal that has now been authorized for shooting.
Office for Forest and Landscape Obwalden
How were the animals raised? Great care was taken to ensure that the three lynxes did not become accustomed to humans while in the zoo, assures Manuel Wyss. “They lived as wild and undisturbed as possible.” They were fed exclusively with wild animals: dead deer and chamois.
How are the other two animals doing? They are behaving inconspicuously. One of them lives in the canton of Obwalden, the other in the canton of Schwyz. “They are not causing any trouble,” says the hunting administrator.