"You were very lucky." Zoologist explains whether encounters with lynx are dangerous for humans
Recently, a lynx entered a private yard in the agro-town of Novy Dvor, Shchuchyn district. The owner managed to film the unusual guest: the animal watched the man from a distance, not approaching, and then turned around and left. Zoologist Alexander Vinchevsky from the "Wild Nature" company explained to "Smartpress" whether such an encounter could be dangerous.
According to the zoologist, a healthy lynx tries to avoid human sight.
"A lynx, like a bear, avoids humans, and it's easier for it to do so than for a bear, so they are met very rarely. When you meet a lynx, you should be happy, because you were incredibly lucky," believes Vinchevsky.
At the same time, unlike a bear, a lynx, in case of danger, does not even try to protect its cubs from humans.
Potential danger can only be posed by an animal sick with rabies or one that behaves inadequately. There are no special periods when a lynx becomes more aggressive towards humans.
However, this does not mean that the predator can be provoked or that one should try to approach it.
In general, lynx lead a very secretive lifestyle. In addition, each individual needs a large hunting territory, which it defends from other members of its species.
The specialist also reminded that the lynx is still listed in the Red Book of Belarus.
For the Hrodna region, this is not the first encounter with a lynx recently. Previously, the animal was noticed near the road between Aziory and Parechcha in the Hrodna district, and another lynx was met by a woman in the forest near Bershty in the same Shchuchyn district.
In 2025, hunting for lynx was officially allowed in Belarus - for the first time in 40 years. However, the animal was not excluded from the Red Book: it received a so-called double status - it simultaneously remains a Red Book species and is considered a "normed hunting animal."
Hunting for lynx is possible only in territories provided for by a plan approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. In the first season, such areas were identified in specific districts of Vitsebsk, Homel, Hrodna, and Minsk regions. The season lasted from October 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026.
In 2025, it was planned to kill 57 lynx, but hunters shot only six animals - just over 10% of the permitted number. The chairman of the Belarusian Society of Hunters and Fishermen, Ihar Shunievich, then called the result "a complete failure of the season."
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