An area of the northern Alps on the border with Switzerland has installed new road signs warning motorists of lynx in a bid to protect the endangered species.
Authorities for the Évian-Abondance Valley in the Haute-Savoie department outlined in a statement that “for several years, Eurasian lynx have been victims of collisions, endangering a rare and protected species that is essential to our biodiversity”.
“The objective of the signs is simple but essential: to encourage drivers to slow down in order to prevent further tragic accidents”.
The signs will be installed on the D1005 between Lugrin in France and Saint-GingolphOndrej Prosicky
The signs will be installed on the D1005 between Lugrin in France and Saint-Gingolph over the border in Switzerland, a busy stretch of road that has seen several accidents involving lynx in recent years.
The road runs along the southern edge of Lake Geneva, with the water on one side and a large forested area home to lynx on the other.
The signs, a triangle with a red border, depict an adult and young lynx in black.
Lynx in France
In France, lynx are found mainly in the Jura mountains to the north of the area with the new signs, with smaller populations in other areas such as the Alps.
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The Eurasian lynx disappeared from France in the 18th century, returning after a reintroduction project in Switzerland in the 1970s.
The current population is estimated to be around 150 adults.
Road accidents kill 10-12 lynx each year, according to Gilles Moyne from the Centre Athénas, a wildlife protection centre in the region.
He told The Connexion earlier this year that a key way to protect lynx was for vehicles to slow down on roads close to their habitat in wooded areas, and putting up signs to raise awareness.
The road sign project sees local municipalities working with the Centre Athénas on the new measures.
