Eurasian lynx in France 35
FIG. 2 Probability of site use by Eurasian lynxes in the Giffre Valley; each cell is 2 × 2 km. (a) Naïve site use estimates based on presence/absence. (b) Mean estimated probabilities of site use adjusting for detection probability and site covariates (forest cover).
Lynx detection probability (p) was low (0.03 ± SE 0.01).
Number of years living in the area slightly increased prob- ability of detecting lynxes, as indicated by a positive covariate coefficient (β = 0.03 ± SE 0.01). The estimated probability of site use (ψ) averaged over all sites was 0.66 ± SE 0.33, in- dicating that the naïve estimate of site use underestimated occupancy by a factor of 5.5.
Reported motivations and perceived impact of lynx
The exploration of hunting motivations resulted in three main themes: connection with nature, family tradition and social links (Supplementary Material Table 5). Others in- cluded wildlife management, recreation, health and wildlife observation.
Connection with nature Many hunters indicated that hunt- ing was valuable to themas it allows them to be in nature and go to areas where they would not otherwise go. They de- scribed a complex natural world, which takes time and pa- tience to appreciate. This theme was built around words such as ‘passion’, ‘discovery’, ‘love’ and ‘understanding’ of the natural world and the mountain environment. This was expressed through quotes such as:
‘I love the mountains. I love being in places where you know the landscape. I like going everywhere around here. It’s the mountain
life. It’s like a way of life. Before, we hunted for food, and now it’sa way of life.’– Hunter, Samoëns/Morillon.
Family tradition Many respondents described hunting as an important tradition in their family, often passed on through generations. The theme highlighted that they were introduced to hunting at a young age by male family members, who played an important role in building their skills and shaping their outlook on life. This was expressed by respondents through quotes such as this from a hunter in Mieussy: ‘I was born into it. I was raised with it. It’sinmy genes.’ Respondents explained shifts in hunting practices and associated traditions, in response to increases in specific species such as red deer and chamois:
‘It wasn’t like that before. There were fewer big game animals. To hunt chamois, you had to go to Pic de Marcelly. Chamois back then were hard to get.’– Hunter, Mieussy.
Social links The fact that hunting is primarily a group activ- ity ensures that time is spent with friends and family. Many hunters underlined the importance they placed in hunting for strengthening social bonds and building friendships:
‘Being with friends .. .Wedon’t go all year round, and we can’t wait for the months when we can go to the mountains together .. . It’s a pleas- ant and friendly atmosphere.’– Hunter, Samoëns.
Pastoralism Interviews with the seven pastoralists identi- fied a range of motivations that underpin their pastoral
TABLE 1 Summary of model selection results indicating the role of covariates in determining probabilities of Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx detection and site use (n = 129 sites), with delta Akaike information criterion (ΔAIC), AIC weight, number of parameters (k), and 2log-likelihood.
Model
psi(forest area)p(years in area) psi(forest area)p(.) psi(.)p(years in area)
psi(human settlement area)p(.)
psi(forest area)p(activity × number of outings) psi(.)p(.)
psi(.)p(number of outings)
psi(human settlement area)p(activity × number of outings) psi(.)p(activity × number of outings) psi(.)p(activity)
ΔAIC 0.00
1.71 4.34 4.49 5.15 5.82 6.00 8.06 9.38 9.44
AIC Weight 0.5375
0.2281 0.0613 0.0569 0.0409 0.0294 0.0267 0.0095 0.0049 0.0048
k 4
3 3 3 6 2 3 6 5 4
2log-likelihood 155.18
158.89 161.52 161.67 156.33 165.00 163.18 159.24 162.56 164.62
Oryx, 2025, 59(1), 31–39 © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605324000334
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