Vienna, Austria - July 10, 2025 Schönbrunn Zoo celebrates the birth of Eurasian lynx triplets born in mid-May, a rare and vital success for conservation efforts. At birth, the cubs weighed just 300 grams, were blind and helpless. They spent their first weeks safely hidden in a protected hut under their mother’s care. “The triplets are developing beautifully. They are now curiously exploring the large forest enclosure, stalking and chasing each other – just like cats do. All of this happens under the watchful eye of their mother,” said Zoo Director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. This birth is a key milestone for the European Endangered Species Program (EEP). Last year, the zoo’s breeding pair was reunited after a female was brought from Riga Zoo, replacing the previous female who moved to Gdańsk Zoo. “We are very pleased that the new pair is getting along so well,” Hering-Hagenbeck added. The Eurasian lynx is Europe’s largest wild cat, measuring 80 to 110 centimeters in head-body length. It features short, black-tipped tails and distinctive ear tufts up to six centimeters long. In Austria, the species is regionally critically endangered with an estimated population of only around 35 animals. Curator Rupert Kainradl explained, “The few lynx populations in Austria are small and separated from one another by human interventions such as road construction, settlements, and intensively used agricultural land.” He added, “The lack of genetic exchange between isolated populations leads to inbreeding in the long term, thus weakening their ability to survive. Poaching also poses a significant threat to these shy forest dwellers.”