Extreme home range sizes among Eurasian lynx at the northern edge of their biogeographic range

Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) have a wide distribution across Eurasia. The
northern edge of this distribution is in Norway, where they reach up to 72
degrees north. We conducted a study of lynx space use in this region from
2007 to 2013 using GPS telemetry. The home range sizes averaged 2,606 (±
438 SE) km2 for males (n=9 ranges) and 1,456 (± 179 SE) km2 for females
(n=24 ranges). These are the largest home ranges reported for any large
felid, and indeed are only matched by polar bears, arctic living wolves,
and grizzly bears among all the Carnivora. The habitat occupied was almost
entirely treeless alpine tundra, with home ranges only containing from 20
to 25% of forest. These data have clear implications for the spatial
planning of lynx management in the far north as the current management
zones are located in unsuitable habitats and are not large enough to
encompass individual lynx movements.