A Swiss hunter has managed to document a reliable sighting of a young wild lynx living in the Engadine Valley, the first time baby lynx have been registered in the region since 1872. The man was able to take a photograph of the animal, giving ground to the many sightings other visitors have claimed in previous years.

Game hunter captured lynx photograph in late July

The hunter caught a glimpse of the magnificent cat during a late evening hunt on July 22. Thanks to his specialist equipment, the man was able to take a photograph of the lynx as it prowled the forests near the municipality of Zernez. 

According to local authorities, two lynx puppies were born in the region this year. "This is the first reliable evidence of lynx pups in the Engadine since they were wiped out in the second half of the 19th century," says a media release from the Office for Hunting and Fisheries.

Previous lynx sightings ruled out due to lack of evidence

Previous sightings of lynx in the Engadine were ruled out due to a lack of evidence, but the most recent sighting captured on camera has confirmed that the animals are now active in this part of the mountains. The lynx was said to have been wiped out in the lower Engadine at some point around 1872, but a male lynx has been known to be living in the area for at least three years.

However, the sighting in July is the first time the animal is known to have bred in what many say is the most beautiful part of the Alps.

For now, the identity of the female lynx who is assumed to have been the mother of the young cats is unknown. Many sightings of the young lynx were reported to authorities back in 2022, but since they were not backed up with photographs or other evidence, only now could these sightings have real significance.