We monitored seven resident (three males and four females) and six dispersing subadult Eurasian lynx from to in a population that was re‐introduced to the Swiss Jura Mountains in the early 1970s. Home‐range areas of the neighbouring adults were 71–281 km2, and significant core areas 34–252 km2. Males occupied significantly larger areas than females. Home‐range overlap was 9% for neighbouring males and 3%) for females. Core areas of males did touch, but those of females were clearly separated. Each male's home range covered those of one or two females. Population density was 0.94 lynx/100 km2 for resident animals. Pre‐dispersal mortality was estimated to be 50%. Juveniles dispersed from their mothers' home area at the age of 10 months. Of six monitored subadults. only one survived the first year of independence. Human‐caused mortality (traffic accidents. illegal killing) was high. This was also the case among resident adults. This might be a threat to the long‐term survival of the reintroduced population.

While the importance of viral infections is well studied in domestic cats, only limited information is available on their occurence and prevalence in the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of antibodies to feline coronavirus (FCoV), calicivirus (FCV), herpesvirus (FHV), parvovirus (FPV), immunodeficiency virus (FIV), leukemia virus (FeLV), and FeLV antigenemia in 51 European wildcat sera. Samples were collected between 1996 and 1997 from wildcat populations in France, Switzerland, and Germany. Antibodies to FCoV were detected in two cats (4%) and FCoV RNA was detected in feces of one of these two cats. Antibodies to FCV, FHV and FPV were found at relatively low frequencies of 16%, 4%, and 2%, respectively. Antibodies to FIV were not detected. Although antigen and antibodies to FeLV were detected in 49%, and 75%, respectively, no evidence of FeLV-associated pathology was found. From the low prevalence of FCoV, FCV, FHV and FPV infections and from the fact that the European wildcats live solitarily, it was concluded that these viral infections do not spread readily within a population. Therefore, it may be assumed that release into the wild of European wildcats bred in captivity would not bring about a high risk of introducing of these viral infections to the free-ranging wildcats. As an exception, wildcats should be tested for absence of FIV infection before release if they were at risk to acquire this infection from domestic cats.

No abstract