Over 30 Balkan Lynx Left In The Wild
The current range of the Balkan lynx (Lynx lynx balkanicus) largely corresponds with the line of the Balkan Green Belt which runs between Albania and North Macedonia as well as between Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo
As part of the “Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme ” (BLRP) the aim is to support “the long-term existence of a sustainable Balkan lynx population in its historical distribution range in harmony with and supported by local communities”
It is believed that in North Macedonia there are from 35 to 40 remaining Balkan lynx, mostly found in Mavrovo National Park.
This cat is considered to be the largest cat in the Balkans & It has been sighted in 2011 and 2012 in the northern mountainous region of Albania and within the boundaries of the Shebenik-Jabllanice National Park.
The lynx is classified as Critically Endangered in Albania and has been protected since 1969 but, despite this, illegal poaching and habitat destruction threatens the remaining Balkan lynx populations in both Albania and North Macedonia
The Balkan lynx has been on the brink of extinction for nearly a century, with total numbers estimated to be fewer than 50.
Hunters that hunt the small wildlife indirectly harm the Balkan lynxes by restricting their source of food, such as roe deer, chamois, and hares & because they have such low population density, it is difficult for mature adults to mate with each other
The population is separated into two different sub-populations in Albania and North Macedonia, further hindering the mating process, although both populations were confirmed to be stabilized by the Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme
The Balkan Lynx Recovery Program (BLRP) is a partnership project implemented in the Western Balkans (Albania, Northern Macedonia and Kosovo) since 2006 sponsored by the Swiss-based MAVA Foundation
The goals of the program is to survey and monitor the lynx population, gathering data of their distribution, population tendencies, habitation, develop Conservation Strategy and National Action Plans across the range of the Balkan lynx, lobby for the Balkan lynx in protected areas in the European Green Belt, and build professional partnerships with relevant stakeholders in nature protection
As a direct result of the rediscovery of the Balkan lynx, Albania has designated two brand new nature reserves spanning 3% of the nation’s territory: Shebenik-Jabllanica National Park in 2008 and Korab-Koritnik Nature Park in 2011
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