Spatial Dynamic and Ecology of a Male Eurasian Lynx, Lynx lynx (Carnivora, Felidae), in Volyn Polissia, Ukraine: First GPS-GSM Telemetry Findings

In landscapes affected by human activity, understanding the spatial dynamics, predation behaviour and habitat preferences of large carnivores is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) plays a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance of temperate and boreal forests in Europe and Asia. However, the ecological patterns and behavior of lynx populations in Ukraine remain poorly studied. This study, based on GPS telemetry data collected from February to August 2023 in the Rivnenskyi Nature Reserve and adjacent territories, is the first to provide a comprehensive assessment of lynx home range, predation ecology and habitat selection in Ukraine. The average annual home range size of the lynx ranged from 181 to 255 km², depending on the home range estimator used (95 % MCP, KDE, and AKDE), with significant seasonal variation: larger ranges in summer (172 km², 95 % MCP) compared to smaller winter ranges (113.2 km², 95 % MCP). The lynx primarily preyed on roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus), occasionally targeting smaller prey and carnivores, including the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). Kills and resting sites were located in dense, low-visibility areas such as swampy coniferous and deciduous forests. Moreover, the study demonstrated that lynx actively avoided human settlements and roads, particularly during summer, highlighting the influence of anthropogenic factors. While our findings align with patterns observed in other European lynx populations, they also reveal regional variations driven by local landscape features. Of the lynx telemetry observations, 30.5% occurred within protected areas and 69.5% in forestry enterprises, degraded marshlands and hunting grounds. These results emphasise the importance of spatial ecology in carnivore conservation and highlight the need for continued monitoring to assess the impact of human activity on lynx populations in Ukraine. Furthermore, this study provides valuable insights for developing targeted conservation strategies involving local communities and stakeholders for the species in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. It also emphasises the need for standardised monitoring to facilitate comparative analyses of lynx ecology across different regions, including the Baltic and the Carpathians.