As we celebrate International Lynx Day on June 11, it’s the perfect time to shine a light on one of Europe’s most elusive and iconic predators—the Eurasian lynx.
These cats have likely prowled the Western and Slovak Carpathians since the last ice age, nearly 50,000 years ago. Once widespread across Slovakia, their presence has long been tied to dense forests and healthy prey populations. Archaeological finds from Bronze Age refuse pits even suggest lynx once roamed the Danubian Lowland—proof of a range that once spanned the entire country.
But it hasn’t been an easy journey. Lynx populations in Slovakia have faced near-extinction multiple times due to deforestation, habitat loss, prey scarcity, and direct persecution. A devastating predator poisoning campaign in the 19th century pushed numbers even lower.
Yet even during the darkest periods, one region showed key importance: the Eastern Carpathians. This rugged frontier, particularly its northwestern edge, remained a crucial refuge where lynx managed to survive. From this refuge, they slowly began to return to central and western parts of Slovakia.
Despite the region’s importance, systematic monitoring was lacking—until now. In recent years, our project team, together with the Slovak State Nature Conservancy, WWF Poland, and the national parks of Poloniny (SK), Bieszczady (PL), and Uzhanskyi (UA), launched a coordinated effort to change that.
We installed camera traps across key forested corridors—and now we can say that the lynx are there!
Our images from camera traps offer more than just rare glimpses of this carnivore. They confirm that the Carpathians continue to serve as a living refuge for lynx—and that our conservation efforts are making a real difference.
This collaborative work, carried out with local forestry units, hunting associations, and the Foreign Police, showcases the power of trust, teamwork, and long-term vision. The project, under the LECA partnership, sets a new standard for how we monitor and protect large carnivores—not just in Slovakia, but across Europe.
Each lynx caught on camera adds valuable evidence to the species’ ongoing recovery and highlights the importance of continued conservation efforts.
This International Lynx Day, let’s celebrate the return of a great carnivore species—and the united efforts helping it thrive.