As part of the LECA project activities, partner organisations are working together to map the occurrence and distribution of large carnivores in the mountain ranges along the Moravian-Slovak border. The joint effort brings together the Beskydy and White Carpathians Protected Landscape Areas, Hnutí DUHA Carnivores, Carpathian Wilderness NGO and the Kysuce Protected Landscape Area Administration.
On 7–8 February, the team carried out the main field mapping event, collecting important data on the presence and distribution of wolves, lynx and bears in the region. Because large carnivores move across national borders, coordinated monitoring between Czechia and Slovakia is essential for developing effective conservation measures and ensuring the long-term protection of these species.
The survey involved both protected area experts and a large network of volunteers, including members of the “Wolf and Lynx Patrols”. Together, they covered approximately 2,000 km², searching for signs of carnivore presence such as tracks, scat and prey remains. This large-scale cooperation demonstrates the important role of local communities and citizen involvement in biodiversity monitoring and conservation.
Key takeaways: The mapping provides valuable data for understanding the status of large carnivore populations and supporting evidence-based conservation decisions in the Carpathian region. The results contribute to improved cross-border cooperation, harmonised monitoring approaches and better protection of species facing pressures such as illegal killing, traffic mortality, habitat loss and landscape fragmentation. Findings from previous mapping activities have also been published in Acta Carpathica Occidentalis, highlighting the long-term contribution of collaborative monitoring to large carnivore conservation.