Although Eurasian lynx are normally shy and hard to see, juveniles can be a bit naïve in the period after leaving their mother and often show little fear of humans. This female, called Gro, was born in May 1997 in southeast Norway. The picture was taken in May 1998, just after she had separated from her mother at the age of 11 months and had begun the search for a territory of her own. She was marked with a radio-transmitter and was followed for the rest of the summer. During this period she successfully learnt to hunt roe deer for herself, but she was killed in a collision with a car some months later. Juvenile carnivores are particularly at risk of being killed in traffic accidents due to their wide ranging movements and lack of experience.
Text: John Linnell / Photo: Lars Gangås