Foraging by lynx and its role in ungulate mortality

Jedrzejewski and colleagues studied Eurasian lynx predation in Poland's Bialowieza Forest, quantifying kill rates, prey selection and the lynx's contribution to roe deer and red deer mortality. They found lynx are efficient ambush predators of small ungulates, with roe deer the staple, and that lynx predation can be a significant, sometimes limiting source of mortality for roe deer populations in temperate forests. The study contrasted local findings with broader Palaearctic patterns, showing how prey availability shapes lynx diet. It is a key reference for Eurasian lynx predation ecology and for understanding the felid's role in structuring temperate ungulate communities, informing both conservation and game-management debates in Europe.