Diary » Cottage
24.08.2008
We are successful bridge builders. Close to the cottage we made a bridge over the small brook so that the lynxes could go to the forest not having to wade through the brook. Although it was a hard work, “Landík” our Land Rover Defender proved as a good helper with which we were able to pull big wood logs needed for the construction of the bridge… It is not a typical bridge, rather a small bridge or at the best foot bridge… but it makes one happy…
25.08.2008
With Miloš, his son Miňo and other two helpers we built a pen for the lynxes. They can jump from the window in the room directly to the pen to have a better contact with nature.
26.08.2008
A transport of the lynxes to the valley to the Field station of the Veľká Fatra Mts. National Park. We transport them separately in the crates. Líza injured her foot because of fabric. She would like to be with Muro, it is better to transport them together. Muro lies in the crate calmly, but Líza is not calm she jumps over him. They accustom to the new environment very hard. They look worried. They are in a shock, but let us to caress them. They went out to the pen only before sunset and they played for a short time. Líza marked one corner of the pen and they go there to urinate as well as defecate. Tomáš closed them to the crate for night.
27.08.2008
In the morning after releasing them from the crate the animals are surprised again from the new environment of the cottage. Erika and Dáška cook. After the lunch they look after the lynxes. But they do not want to play. Muro is under big stress, he fed only small amounts and he is weak. He is not able to jump to the secretary which was not a problem for him before.
But we cannot resign. Dáška is sure that during the first few days until they get accustomed to the new environment we have to look after them for 24 hours daily. To talk to them although they are not interested in it. Finally, Dáška brings spruce branches and together with Erika they try to play with them. They were successful. Líza started to play as first and then also Muro. They are gentler in comparison with their behavior at home; we can take meat from their muzzles. Apparently they need our contact.
28.08.2008
The lynxes slept for all night on the secretary, they got vitamin and anti-stress paste. They are calmer. Together with Erika we had a dinner with them. Both lynxes frolicked under our legs. Vlado Trulík cut wood for fire and after a whole day of cleaning and necessary adjustment of the cottage a beer on our bridge came in handy.
29.08.2008
Because of hot weather I escaped from Bratislava, but the same weather found me also here, in the cottage. We offered a wash-basin with water to lynxes and immediately it became their favorite thing. The lynxes dabbled and dabbled in the water and then they shook their wet feet funnily.
31.08.2008
Beďo Landsefeld brought us the repaired terrestrial telemetry devices and collars for the lynxes, respectively. As signal can be received from approximately three kilometers, we go by car to know the forest roads from which we will be receiving the signal in the case that the lynxes will get lost…
02.09.2008
In the morning I found signs of vomiting on the couch. Muro has a diarrhea so I give him water with a bone-black, he ate 4 necks. Líza ate also a mouse. At the evening they went out again. Muro is not interested in water with bone-black but Líza likes it. Both got one mouse, but Líza grabbed also Muro´s one. She noticed that he does not like to eat.
Muro vomited twice, he did not digest meat at all so tomorrow they will have a dietary until the evening, and they will obtain only water. Muro defecated in the pen. The scat is sleazy but a little bit rigid at the end. He buried it well.
03.09.2008 I give no meat to Muro, only a decoction from carrots, his scats were sleazy again. Líza ate mice as well as chickens and her scats are normal. 04.09.2008 Muro feels much better, decoction from carrots and rice was marvelous, he stopped vomitting and he did not defecate.
6. 9. 2008
Weight
Muro – 6,57 kg
Líza – 5,47 kg
Muro is in good physical condition again, he is voracious, perfect.
07.09.2008
Miloš brought an old dead tree to the pen. Muro was very afraid of it, Líza was calmer. After few hours, they were lying on it and sharpened their claws.
09.09.2008
For the first time Muro and Líza sleep outside in the pen and not in the room and it is only 00:30 p.m. Erika is alone and thinks that it is because they are not disturbed and feel safe. Today no mice trapped in live-catch mousetraps neither in normal traps.
12.09.2008
Lynx guards change at 07:20 p.m. Maja Boďová, a zoologist of the Veľká Fatra Mts. National Park, came to help us. When Miloš and Erika left, Muro sat in the window and observed the leaving car. Together with Líza they jumped into the pen for more than 20 minutes and around 09:30 p.m. they climbed to the room to sleep. Around the cottage I hear a movement of small rodents so I hope that some of them will get caught in some of the 7 live-catch traps and 3 hood traps.
13.09.2008
In the morning 6 yellow-necked mice were trapped in the live-catch traps. First two, released in the room, found shelter behind the case but lynxes found tracks. Then, after removing the case, a true chaos started. Approximately 10 minutes later Líza came as first with a mouse whereas Muro looked on it enviously for a moment through the window. A few seconds later he caught his own one. They played with them for the next 20 seconds and then they ate them. In other pair they were more clever, especially Líza. Muro had a mouse in the corner and he was prepared to jump on it, Líza was sitting approximately one meter far and observed them. Muro attacked, the mouse wanted to escape along the wall but in that moment Líza caught it and ran to the pen. It is warm outside, sunny, weak wind. Muro needed a few seconds to understand what happened but 2 minutes later he hunted another mouse. Before releasing the mice in the room it is necessary to stuff up the loop-hole in the floor. I assumed that they start to eat the mouse from the head but Muro started from the back.
At 13:00 they looked nervously for a moment because they did not see Majda family (they run around the pen, sometimes whined). But after 30 minutes they were OK. Both defecated, Muro´s scat was a little bit sleazier. They ate the last two mice, Muro caught and ate it as first. Líza played for a long time. Muro ate the mouse from the back, Líza from the head.
When Líza licked Muro´s head from scapula, Muro purred as a cat. I also remarked that when Líza ate her mouse and saw that Muro still played with his one, she tried to lure him away by using a small ball. She pushed the ball before Muro´s nose, played with it trying to tempt him to play so that he released the mouse. She was almost successful.
14.09.2008
5 mice and 1 vole were trapped. But the cats did not repeat their yesterday’s performance. In the morning, when they were hungry, I released the mouse and vole. Muro caught the mouse quickly and run out to the pen where the mouse escaped. Together they started to hunt the vole – Copperfield - who, until today I do not know how, escaped probably through some hole. Other two mice succeeded in similar way. Líza caught one of them and “released” it outside through the pen, they hunted the second one together for 10 minutes under the furnace (they cooperated normally, they hounded it, actually, they ran synchronically around the case, each from another side). When they almost had it, the mouse escaped through a small hole under the furnace. The last two will be kept for lunch. They caught them without any problems and each ate one. Around midnight, a car stopped up on the road and lighted in the way to cottage. Somebody with a lamp came to the window of the room and lighted inside. Before I sprang up from the sleeping bag and went to the door, the unknown person disappeared. I called from the doors, lighted on the “yard” but I did not see anybody, only the car lighted. A few seconds later I heard the car to go up to the valley. In the morning I checked the entire pen but I did not find anything.
The cats came over their barrier. Till today they still had a distance but Líza always, when passing close to me in the window, stopped and observed me. Always I walked back but once I stayed. She came to my face up to 10 centimeters, put her foot on my head and by her claws she got the upper part of my had and waited – she did not injured me but I felt the claws. After it, she went close to me with any problems, looked around for several times, played with my hands and I could caress her. Muro was behind and was jealous. I had to come to him and stroke him. He liked it but Líza came and bit him to the back.
15.09.2008
6 mice and 4 voles were trapped. In the morning Muro caught and ate first 3 mice, Líza finally ate the forth one. They ate them as situation is – from the head as well as from the back. It is raining and the lynxes do not want to go out. They were in the pen twice but not for long time. They sleep almost for all day. Around 04:00 p.m. each ate one mouse and one vole. Change of the guards around 05:00 p.m.
We brought a 5 months old female of a German shepherd dog, rather as an amusement for the lynxes but both had a big stress and fear which surprised me. Líza panicked as first, she climbed to the corner of the pen up to the window-blind and from there she looked terrified to our new family member Lili. We called her Lili according to the wolf female of which Tomáš and Miloš took care a few years ago. Muro was calmer but when he saw Líza he climbed up to the second corner of the pen. It looked that he imitated Líza. They were there for half an hour, then went down finally. Miloš was calming them down in the pen, but they still observed our new strange animal which they have never seen it before.
16.09.2008
In the morning Miloš collected the traps, it is still raining. Two mice were trapped in the live-catch trap. In the morning, when I entered the room, Líza was already sitting in the window and observed Lili carefully. I offered them one live mouse. Muro immediately jumped on it and caught it, Líza sits in the window an she is not interested in it. She must observe Lili carefully. Muro caught his first mouse so now I call Líza and release another mouse. However, Líza did not take any interest in it, she stayed in the window. Muro caught and ate the second mouse. One hour later I prepared meat to their bowls. I was afraid that Líza will not be interested in it. I put the bowl close to her nose and she ate it at all. Neither today, Líza did not stopped her interest in Lili, she is mostly outside, sitting on the hung-up tree from where she observed Lili. She never minds that she is totally wet. She was sitting there for all day. Muro is not so interested with Lili. Líza smelled my trousers, she smelt Lili and then she nuzzled to my legs.
17.09.2008
Until the lunch Muro ate 4 from 6 mice which were trapped during the night. Líza ate one and another one escaped her in the pen. She was not able to hunt, because of the dog, although the dog was chained far away. We had to chain Lili to the steel rope because when she was chained to a cole, she always bite it and came to the cottage. Above Blatná we saw a young eagle born this year – a female. During the pause of the raining it flew in the locality Jarabiná. There was ice coating on the trees. It is raining for all day.
18.09.2008
In the morning 2 mice were trapped in the live-catch trap. Because of the raining the technique fails, wood becomes swollen so the door falls more slowly. From several traps the food is eaten and the traps stayed opened. In the morning both “spotters” sit in the window and observe Lili (during all night she was off chain, but she is OK, still lies before the entrance to the cottage). Miloš gave them 2 mice but Líza is not so interested in them. Muro caught and ate both. I thought that Líza will observe Lili for all day but she starts to get accustomed slowly. Líza plays again with Muro in the pen and she also enters to the room and lies on the table together with Muro. After a moment, both are outside because Lili barks. In the morning they ate a bowl of the meat. Muro is really cheeky because he goes close to Líza when she eats. He did it also before but I think that he tries to go even closer only to see if something remains for him. Before, he lay a bit from Líza and waited till she let him to her bowl.
19.09.2008
Today, Lili is released free for the first time, the lynxes sit on the dead tree and observe her movements. Muro growls occasionally.
23.09.2008
In the morning Líza and Muro walked in the pen nervously, they waited for the morning meal. Together with Lilka I went to control traps to the opposite slope through the road. Today no mouse was trapped so the lynxes will have a breakfast without deserts. With Tomáš we have a well-established way of feeding. I go out to the pen and call for them. I need to lure them away from their house.
The separate way of feeding approved. One could not believe how they can be angry to each other and fight together during feeding. If you close your eyes and just listen then sometimes you can suppose that you hear small violent tigers which fight for their lives. In the evening we will have to change places for traps to trap few mice at least. It will be a magic night because it will be full moon.
24.09.2008
Finally, after five days we repaired electricity. Close to the bridge a tree fell down on the power cable and it broke a pole. After few romantic days together with Siska we are looking for a bit of light. However we tried to live like in past, only with candles…
25.09.2008 The long-awaited day. Líza and Muro will be vaccinated against rabies. I am curious if the veterinary doctor will manage it because we cannot caress the lynxes and I really do not know how we will vaccinate them. But Miloš had a very good idea and he used blankets in which the lynxes liked to play. During playing he rose up the skin on the neck as cats usually do and the veterinary doctor vaccinated them… And there were no more sorrows…
26.09.2008 Another unexpected visit. Suddenly two horses came. Probably they wandered from the forest where they were used to drag timber. The lynxes looked on them surprisingly; they had never seen such big animals. At least they will know that they are not here alone and that also other animals live there. In the evening I went to the train station for Dáška and her boyfriend Peťo and when I came back through the valley we saw a shrunk nightjar (Caprimulgus caprimulgus). I saw this mysterious bird for the first time, unfortunately dead. At least Líza enjoyed one´s meal.
29.09.2008
In the morning the sun woke us up, it was a nice refreshment after raining days. Líza and Muro already have their own rituals, especially connected with feeding. It is a little bit comic to observe them how they trace the rails of the pen when somebody went around them to the brook with the wooden plate with the remains of meat. They smell quickly that their time is coming. They walk in the pen nervously and they ask their food impatiently. Muro which despite of that his belly is full of mice manifests that he is still hungry.
08.10.2008
The morning rituals passed without any problems, they almost did not differ from the previous. Once the lynxes are fed, they are playing madly, which is funny to observe. It looks like they do not have enough space within their furs, because they are everywhere. Vicious paper-chases, jumps, skittish struggles, playing on the blanket and around and around, it looks as if they do not know what fatigue means. Usually it came after one hour of playing when they lose their energy and it that moment our two small “barbarians” enter the kingdom of the lynx’s dreams. Always they sleep together, they warm each other by their rough furs. One can read the joy in their eyes.
15.10.2008
16.10.2008
Today, we had small problems with Muro and Líza. After a moment of searching I found their new shelter. It is a wooden timber where I found them sleeping delightfully after a moment of an intensive searching. Apparently there were not worries that their nurses will be afraid about them. Initially, the way how they get there was unknown.
19.10.2008
A sunny day was replaced by a cold one. In the evening before going to the bed the thermometer showed 0°C. During the night grass-blades ice-coated. The morning control of live-catch traps was successful, Tomáš brought 4 mice. Líza and Muro savored them. Miloš and Tomáš started to make doors in the fabric of the pen for the lynxes. After it the lynxes could go wherever, of course within the frame of their pen which is insured by electric fence. Muro and Líza looked curiously behind the window. After the completion of the work and after releasing them to the pen they discovered the change in their pen immediately. They smelt it carefully as they felt that this place will provide more space for their games.
22.10.2008
In the morning we brought Brahma hens – 5 hens and one rooster. Also missing ropes and isolators for the electric fence arrived. Together with Tomáš we completed the electric fence to the definitive but mostly functional fashion. After several mornings the dog Lili did not want to come close to it. Actually, she does not want to pass the doors of the fence when Erika went for water. Vlado Trulík with Dutchmen arrived, the lynxes immediately hid in the room.
23.10.2008
The lynxes are very interested in live hens who are in the aviary before the pen. They still observe them. I sewed the transmitters for terrestrial telemetry to the collars. The collar with a perimeter 30 cm was big for Muro but I think that now the perimeter of the Muro´s neck is approx. 26-27- cm and Líza has 23-24 cm. I brought three homers to Muro and Líza, the owner would like to kill them. Because it was raining they lay in the room on the timber under the ceiling all day. Tomáš left to our home in Dolný Kubín city to finish this website. It should be launched officially in two days. It will be mentioned in the GEO magazine, the winter season 2008 issue.
24.10.2008
In the morning the lynxes observe the homers released in the pen. Immediately Muro caught one of them without any problems. Líza also did not take a shame. Feathers were everywhere. Because Líza did not eat the whole homer, Muro helped her. Although it can look sorely, the lynxes have to be in contact with live prey. They already know how to catch mice, so the birds follow. Soon it will be one of their main possibilities to feed… After good breakfast they play for one hour and observe the hens running and grazing before the pen… For the rest, of course, they found their favorable place on the timber in the room.
25.10.2008
Lila pursues the hens, she would like to play. However, at the evening four of them were missing. We started to look for them, we were afraid of the worst thing, we did not find them. One of them stayed to sleep in the aviary. Fortunately in the morning they came from different ways as we waited. They were close to the electric fence. We were happy that foxes or martens did not catch them.
26.10.2008
Dáška bought a ball for Lili and when I through it the lynxes observe us with a big interest. They also forgot about the hens.
27.10.2008
It is a really comic situation when we clean the floor in the room where the lynxes live. They like to run on the wet floor. They are happy that it is so slippery.
30.10.2008
We are not successful in mouse trapping, their number still decreases. Today, our neighbor from the forester’s cottage brought us 3 live mice and one trapped to the hood trap.
04.11.2008 Today, together with Tomáš also Barbora Dvořáková from the magazine Šarm arrived. Muro and Líza started to show off immediately in the evening in the cottage. Already before we found that the lynxes inhale all scents in their surrounding. Now they smelled a chainsaw… The rubbing against the chainsaw was endless…
