Wildlife experts are concerned as a pack of lynx without their distinctive pointed ears has been spotted in the Jura mountains near the French border.
The phenomenon is known and it’s worrying.
Lynx born without ears is a sign of inbreeding and it shows there aren’t enough of the animals to maintain a healthy population.
The Kora Foundation based in Bern keeps tabs on carnivores in Switzerland.
They say it shows that not enough animals were introduced in the 1970s, and there needs to be more.
But it’s not simple. Any new Lynxes can only be placed in a space where there are no existing packs – that will require research and agreement with neighbouring France.