The MES team for conservation of the Balkan lynx, in collaboration with the employees in the Mavrovo National Park, initiated the third systematic camera-trapping session in this national park. The session began on 9 March and will last exactly 60 days. The results from these sessions will provide an exact measurement of the quantity of the lynx population in what is for now the only region in Macedonia with confirmed lynx reproduction and, unfortunately, the only known source of the population so far. These results will further on provide information about the number of the population of the lynx in the suitable habitats in Southwest Balkan.
Moreover, comparison of current results and those from 2008 and 2010 will show park’s population trend. This exceptionally important ecological parameter will contribute to obtaining further insights about the critical status of this animal.
Finally, the confirmation of presence of lynx main prey (roe deer and chamois) and its abundance carries great significance for the future survival of the lynx, not only in the protected areas, but also in the rest of the region.
MES expresses deep gratitude to the Hunting Prevention Service within the park for unselfishly sharing its knowledge about the presence of lynx in the park and selecting suitable camera-trapping sites. Dejan Georgievski and Marija Vasilevikj, MES volunteers, have offered great help in the realisation of this year’s session.
