Wolf and lynx: Footage of the beautiful animals in a new video from the Hellenic Protection Center in Florina

At Agrapides of the prefecture of Florina, in western Macedoniais located the wolf and lynx protection center of Arcturus. In a specially fenced area of ​​70 acres at an altitude of 650 meters, wolves and lynxes are hosted by Arcturos, where you can observe and admire them up close.

The wolf is a carnivorous animal and is the mammal with the greatest geographical distribution in historical times after man. It is found throughout the northern hemisphere and in our country in central and northern Greece. It lives in dense, mountainous forests with few human activities and significant populations of large mammals, which are its food, in semi-mountainous areas dominated by scrublands and intensive livestock farming, and also in lowland areas next to forests.

The wolf is the carnivorous mammal that is the largest representative of the canids. Its body length ranges from 105 to 160 cm, height at the shoulders is 80 to 85 cm, and its weight ranges from 25 to 40 kg. Its skull is large in relation to its body, with powerful jaws. It has 42 teeth with characteristically large fangs that reach 7 centimeters. Its sternum is muscular and its legs are extremely strong and high enough to develop speeds of up to 45 Km/h.

The wolf’s strongest sense is the sense of smell, it can locate its prey at a distance of 3 kilometers just by smell. His hearing is also very strong, he can perceive a wide range of frequencies ranging from 250 Hz to 30,000 Hz, which enables him to hear and communicate with other wolves even when humans perceive silence. On the contrary, vision is not his strong point. The wolf has good vision and, combined with its other senses, can locate prey and avoid dangers.

The wolf mating season begins at the end of winter. Gestation lasts about 63 days and ends between April and June with the birth of 3-7 young. The young are weaned after at least 9 weeks. From July to October the young participate more strongly in the life of the herd, while the arrival of winter finds them mature enough to follow the movements of the herd. With the completion of their first year, their training for survival is also completed. From the age of 22 months, when their adulthood is completed, they are able to create their own pack and acquire their own territory. Its life expectancy ranges from 8 to 16 years on average.

The wolf as a carnivorous animal feeds on meat. The main source of food is medium and large ungulates, either wild or domestic. It shows food flexibility as in periods and areas where large ungulates are absent, it turns to smaller mammals, garbage, animal carcasses, etc.

An element of the adaptation of its food habits is that when prey is available it can consume large quantities, exceeding 7 kg per meal, while otherwise it can fast for even a week. Finally, although the wolf is a carnivore, it also likes to eat fruit.

The main characteristic of wolves is a high degree of social organization based on a strict and defined social hierarchy. We find this in wolf packs which consist of the reproductive couple and their offspring of the same year or previous years. The size of the pack depends on the amount and availability of food in its territory. The size of a wolf pack has been recorded around the world and is from 2 to 42 individuals.

The main threats facing the wolf are the reduction of natural prey, human activities and the negative prejudice against the species. The wolf has permanently disappeared from many areas of the Earth. The species is included in the red book of endangered species of the EU. and in Greece it has been classified as a vulnerable species.

At the protection center in Agrapides there is a separate wing where three lynxes are housed. The lynx is a medium-sized feline and is the third largest carnivorous mammal in Europe after the bear and the wolf. All species of lynx live in the northern hemisphere. The lynx prefers to live in extensive dense forests of coniferous, broad-leaved and mixed forests.

The lynx is a carnivorous mammal and the only feline that lives in Europe. Its length ranges from 70 to 130 cm, its height from 35 to 70 cm and its weight from 7 to 35 kg. Its front legs are 20% shorter than its hind legs and males are larger and stronger than females.

The characteristics that make it stand out from its related species are its pointed ears, the broad and round head and the short tail with a black tip that varies from 15 to 20 cm in length. The hairs on the tips of the pointed ears, with their length reaching up to 5 centimeters, enhance his hearing. The strongest sense that the lynx has is vision, as it is 6 times more sensitive than that of humans in the dark, which allows it to hunt during the night. The lynx has a total of 28 teeth which are pointed and sharp.

The lynx is not a particularly fast animal, due to the fact that its heart is small in relation to its body, so the way it hunts its prey is by ambush, either in dense vegetation, or by climbing trees which it does with great ease. In addition, his high legs and thick coat give him the ability to hunt in up to half a meter of snow.

It hunts its prey after dusk or at night using its excellent vision to locate them. As a carnivorous animal, it feeds on small ungulates such as deer, wild goats, etc.. when there is not much availability of them, it resorts to birds, hares and rodents.

Lynx fur is dense and usually spotted. Color varies by season and species. It is from beige and gray to reddish and brown while on the chin, chest and belly it is almost white.

The mating season is from February to April. The gestation period ranges from 70 to 80 days and ends with the birth of 2-4 young. In the first 16 days the cubs are blind, nurse for two months and stay with their mother for another winter and then become independent. Its lifespan is estimated from 10 to 17 years.

The main threats that the lynx has to face are the fragmentation, the degradation and even the destruction of its habitats and in combination with the significant reduction in the populations of its prey, its survival becomes difficult.

The presence of the lynx in Greece was widely distributed until the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, then the population shrank significantly. Today the presence of the lynx in Greece is uncertain, while there are reports of its appearance, there is no evidence to prove it. The lynx in Greece has been classified as a critically endangered species.
The wolf and lynx protection center of Arcturus houses wolves and lynxes that come from captivity, either from zoos and parks, or from private individuals who had them in captivity.

These wolves and lynxes, due to the living conditions in captivity and in combination with the interaction with humans, cannot be reintegrated into their natural environment. So at the protection center, where, in addition to their limited natural environment, wolves and lynxes have appropriate nutrition, veterinary care and living conditions that ensure their well-being.

Arcturos, as a non-governmental and non-profit environmental organization, can carry out and develop its actions thanks to the support of citizens and donors. Citizens can support the organization by adopting one of the animals housed in the shelters. In addition, they can donate to the organization, become members or choose souvenirs from the e-shop or the stores in the centers. Finally, you can contribute to the work of Arcturus by participating in the organization as a volunteer.
The Hellenic Observation Center visited the wolf and lynx protection center and created a short documentary about wolves and lynxes.

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