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The southwest
Balkans (mainly Macedonia and Albania) are the last stronghold of
one of the most endangered Eurasian lynx populations in Europe. There
is a great lack of data on the ecology and status of this
population, although a new project is making progress in mapping
their distribution. This picture of a kitten taken on Stogovo
mountain in NW Macedonia is the first hard fact of reproduction in
this population for many years, providing a slight glimmer of hope
for its survival. This Balkan population is special in that it
represents one of the four lynx populations (along with the
Scandinavian, the Baltic and the Carpathian) that has persisted in
Europe. All others, such as those in the Alps or the northwestern
Balkans have been reintroduced. The distinction is such that many
authorities regard the southwest Balkan lynx as an own subspecies. |
