The lynx triplets at RZSS Highland Wildlife park have started coming out of their comfort zone and are learning to explore other parts of their enclosure, after almost three months of huddling with their mother.
The feline triplets, born on May 25, are the fourth set of cubs for mother Dimma and father Switch.
"The couple arrived at the park in 2012 and this is the fourth year in a row they have produced cubs - a real testament to the quality of the animal husbandry and the enclosure here. Dimma gave birth to her previous litters in the bushes at the front of the enclosure, which required us to rope-off the adjacent visitor path, but this year she has opted for the privacy and security of the nest boxes provided in the lynx house," said Una Richardson, Head Keeper for Carnivores at RZSS Highland Wildlife Park, according to ZooBorns.
"Watching the cubs play fighting with each other, running and tumbling about the enclosure, it's easy to see why they are quickly becoming favorites with both staff and visitors over the past few weeks. They have been putting on quite a show, especially at feeding time when they routinely play stalk and pounce on sections of meat as big as themselves," according to a statement in RZSS Wildlife Park website.
Lynx are not endangered, but they are scarce in European areas, which is why the RZSS Highlind Wildlife Park and the European Zoo Association have coordinated with the lynx breeding program.
Loss of habitat, reduced prey availability and illegal hunting are the biggest threats to wild lynx populations, according to Small Holder.
