Thank you for all your support throughout the seven years of the project, we wouldn’t be here without you.

LIFE Lynx achievements in Numbers:

You can endorse us once again, and vote for us in the category “Citizens’ Prize”: https://www.lifeawards.eu/project/life-lynx/

The winners of all categories will be announced during the EU green Week – Europe’s biggest environmental event, on June 3rd, at the LIFE Awards Ceremony.

The post LIFE Lynx is the finalist for LIFE Award 2025 first appeared on Life lynx.

The post LIFE Lynx is the finalist for LIFE Award 2025 appeared first on Life lynx.

The paper represents the most detailed description of the lynx monitoring program in Slovenia, which was developed with the help of the LIFE Lynx project. Specifically, it explains how combining data from questionnaires, chance observations and systematic camera trapping can yield high quality data for lynx abundance and density estimation. After the reinforcement process (in the 2022-2023 survey season), the lynx population size in Slovenia was estimated at approximately 50 lynx. The paper additionally provides in depth description of how hunters as key stakeholders contributed to the data collection process. We highlight the importance of close partnership with hunters in wildlife monitoring programs, which can result in improved trust in the results from the monitoring, and acceptance of conservation measures.

Hunters were important partners in lynx monitoring in the scope of the LIFE Lynx project. Photo Urša Fležar

Unfortunately, systematic lynx monitoring has not yet continued after the LIFE Lynx project, so newer estimates of population size are not available. Information about the status of lynx should however be regularly and transparently provided to stakeholders and the public, to maintain trust in the ability of authorities to manage the lynx. With the crucial national strategic lynx conservation documents being adopted by the Slovenian government in 2024, the responsible authorities can implement the necessary activities for ensuring lynx monitoring and conservation in the long-term.

The post Hunter-engaged monitoring of the Eurasian lynx during the reinforcement process: a new scientific study available first appeared on Life lynx.

The post Hunter-engaged monitoring of the Eurasian lynx during the reinforcement process: a new scientific study available appeared first on Life lynx.

Biotechnical Faculty joined forces with Slovenia Forest Service, The Triglav National Park, ZOO Ljubljana and selected hunting clubs in the Gorenjska region. This year, we have fitted two lynxes with telemetry collars; in January, in the Bohinjska Bistrica area, we captured an adult lynx, Andrej, who was already wearing a telemetry collar as a cub, so we replaced it with a new one. Andrej is the offspring of the translocated lynxes Julia and Tris, from the 2022 litter. He was in excellent physical condition at the time of capture; weighing 23.1 kg, which is 7 kg more than when he was first captured as an adolescent lynx.

Lynx Andrej, photographed in the area of Mežakla in 2023. Photo: LIFE Lynx

A month later, another adult lynx, which we already knew from monitoring with camera traps, was caught on the Jelovica plateau. The healthy male lynx is 2-3 years old and weighed 22.5 kg at the time of capture. Local hunters named him Branko, after the hunter who helped set the trap in which the lynx was captured. Branko shares a territory with a female lynx, Talia, who established her territory in Slovenia in 2023 and had two pups the following year. It is currently the mating season for lynx, so in addition to monitoring the predation of lynxes within the Extreme Predator project, it will also be interesting to monitor their mating movements, as the males often go on mating excursions outside their territories.

Lynx Branko, photographed in the area of Jelovica. Photo: Lan Hočevar, Biotehniška Fakulteta

Experienced veterinaries from Ljubljana ZOO thoroughly examined the Lynx. Photo: Maja Sever

Video of the releas of lynx Branko, back to the forests of Jelovica:

The post Lynx Monitoring in the Alps; Extreme Predator Project first appeared on Life lynx.

The post Lynx Monitoring in the Alps; Extreme Predator Project appeared first on Life lynx.

Schools are keeping up with the rapid trend of new knowledge and findings in Biology

We are pleased that the National Examinations Center has recognised the importance of knowledge on lynx and the conservation of the species.  Large carnivores, as keystone species in ecosystems and charismatic species, are very suitable as model organisms for teaching about a wide range of natural science topics, such as ecology, genetics, systematics of organisms or structure and functioning of ecosystems. By learning about the Eurasian lynx, students are introduced to the importance of conserving both individual species and the balance of nature. In order to ensure the long-term transfer of knowledge and understanding of the importance of lynx conservation, it is crucial to systematically introduce this type of content at all levels of education.

Last spring, 1183 students took the “Biology” exam. The most frequent reasons in their decision to take Biology were further studies (38.1%), interest in the subject (38.1%) and being motivated by the teacher (8.9%). In its Annual Report on the Slovenian Matura Exam, the National Examinations Center noted that candidates were well prepared for the Exam in Biology, and that schools are keeping up with the rapid trend of new knowledge and findings in the field of biology. Only 8 candidates, or 0.84%, of the reference group who sat the Biology exam in the spring semester were unsuccessful.

The post Lynx at Slovenian Matura Exam first appeared on Life lynx.

The post Lynx at Slovenian Matura Exam appeared first on Life lynx.