Lynx — Suleesun

Lynx — Felis lynx Linn. (in Kyrgyz: suleesun)

A fairly large animal. Body length 82–105 cm, weight 8–15 kg, rarely more. The body is short and dense, on high strong legs with very wide furry paws. There are wide cheeks on the sides of the head, and tufts at the ends of the ears. The tail is short, appearing to be truncated at the end. The fur is brownish-white in winter and pale-red in autumn.

It is quite widely distributed in Kyrgyzstan, found across all ridges where there is forest. Its population is minimal everywhere. To date, only individual finds of this extremely cautious animal, which mainly leads a nocturnal lifestyle, are known.

In its distribution, the lynx adheres to forested areas, entering juniper forests and thickets.

According to the literary data of S. P. Naumov and N. P. Lavrov, the lynx's mating season occurs from late January to April, depending on the geographical location of the area and a number of other reasons (weather conditions, the condition of the animal, etc.). The gestation lasts 9–10 weeks. The young are born blind in numbers of 2–3, less often more. They gain sight by the 10th to 12th day. They are fed with their mother's milk for 2–3 months and live with her for about a year.

Sexual maturity occurs at the end of the second year of life. The lynx builds nests in tree hollows and crevices of rocks. It feeds on forest game and mouse-like rodents. It preys on roe deer, usually from a tree or from cover. G. A. Novikov describes the lynx's behavior in search of food: "When food is abundant, it leads a sedentary lifestyle over an area of 1000–2500 hectares, covering from 5 to 15 km in a day. In the absence of food, it can move tens of kilometers on the snow."

The lynx has no enemies, but it causes significant damage to hunting economies: it preys on roe deer, raids bird nests, and catches partridges, capercaillies, and other birds.

It is listed in the Red Book of Kyrgyzstan.

Red Book