CzechLynx: A Dataset for Individual Identification and Pose Estimation of the Eurasian Lynx

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Authors: Lukas Picek, Jakub Straka, Miroslav Jiřík, Elisa Belotti, Martin Duľa, Josefa Krausova, Michal Bojda, Vojtěch Čermák, Luděk Bufka, Rostislav Dvořák, Ľuboslav Hrdý, Václav Kocourek
+5 more Jiří Labuda, Luděk Toman, Vlado Trulík, Martin Váňa, Miroslav Kutal
Cited by: 3
References: 38

Abstract

We introduce CzechLynx , the first large-scale, open-access dataset for individual identification, pose estimation, and instance segmentation of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). CzechLynx contains 39,760 camera trap images annotated with segmentation masks, identity labels, and 20-point skeletons and covers 319 unique individuals across 15 years of systematic monitoring in two geographically distinct regions: southwest Bohemia and the Western Carpathians. In addition to the real camera trap data, we provide a large complementary set of photorealistic synthetic images and a Unity-based generation pipeline with diffusion-based text-to-texture modeling, capable of producing arbitrarily large amounts of synthetic data spanning diverse environments, poses, and coat-pattern variations. To enable systematic testing across realistic ecological scenarios, we define three complementary evaluation protocols: (i) geo-aware, (ii) time-aware open-set, and (iii) time-aware closed-set, covering cross-regional and long-term monitoring settings. With the provided resources, CzechLynx offers a unique, flexible benchmark for robust evaluation of computer vision and machine learning models across realistic ecological scenarios.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Human-Animal Interaction Studies Primate Behavior and Ecology

Publication details

Journal / source
Scientific Data
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
13
Issue
1
Publication date
24 February 2026
Language
EN