My wife and I were just driving to work and while it was dark at about 6:25 in the morning we both think we saw a lynx crossing the street in the snow.
It was near to Triemli hospital in Zurich.
First we thought it was just a normal house cat but it had very well developed 'butch' forelegs and no tail.
I guess we must be mistaken as I doubt any wild cats live in this region (around Uetliberg) in Zürich.
higgy, wow- jealous me? We have a lot of lynx up on top of the Jura- but I have never seen one. Of course they are very discreet and out from dusk to dawn- so not easy to see. My parents saw one a few times when XC skiing- and 1 of my neighbours, tragically, killed on returning from a Club early in the morning. The Lynx was on the road, so he slowed dow and stopped about 20m before and waited- the lynx then run across the road so he put his foot down, and the lynx turned back and straight into his Jeep. He was devastated- she was not dead and it took the garde-faune 1 hour to arrive- he covered here with a blanket to calm her (btw I keep a blanket in the car all the time just in case- as it is the best way to keep an injured animal calm- as I learnt as a volunteer for our local wildlife hospital in the UK) - and she was still alive when the garde-faune shot her- as her injuries were so severe he knew there was no chance.
So you are one lucky couple- bet wou will never ever forget this.
They record all sightings and keep a register of all known linx in Switzerland. Like most animals, each individual has very specific markings- so they use computer and visual records to identify each animal. the young female in the tragic accident above was not registered. We are very close to the French border, and they cross al the time- but the Swiss work closely with other associations across all borders to share records and findings.