Joy of motherhood for Maya

Great news from Macedonia: a baby Balkan lynx has been born! This is the first time scientists have succeeded in taking pictures of lynx young, since EuroNatur and its partners began their conservation work. The latest offspring to be born gives us grounds for hope that this endangered species could once again be in a position to expand.

A cuddly glimmer of hope: Maya's offspring

© Panajot Chorovski/MES

Today fewer than 50 Balkan lynx range across the mountain forests of the western Balkans. In February 2017, scientists from EuroNatur’s Macedonian partner organisation MES fitted Maya, a female lynx, with a tracking device so that they could find out more about this rare cat’s behaviour and protect it more effectively. The GPS data from this has now led conservationists to Maya’s den near the perimeter of the Mavrovo national park. Here they came across a healthy baby lynx. The Macedonian national park is one of only two areas up to now where scientists have found evidence of Balkan lynx successfully rearing young.

"It is a great thing to be able to see this baby lynx, hale and hearty,” says Panajot Chorovski, who is visibly moved by the sight. A local hunter himself, he really knows his way around the area and is proud to have taken the first photos of the lynx offspring. And as a representative of the local hunting club, Panajot is working in close cooperation with conservationists from MES. They are all now hoping to be able to gain further information about the way these shy cats rear their young.

 

Find out more about EuroNatur's work to protect the Balkan lynx in this video

Please donate for Lynxes in Europe

How you can help

Donation

Future needs nature. EuroNatur cares for it. Please use your possibilities to help. With your donation you will make an effective contribution to a more livable environment.

Sustaining membership

EuroNatur focuses on long-term nature conservation projects instead of quick fixes. With your regular donations, you give us the planning security we need.

News

Skavica mega dam: Albanian court to scrutinise special law for U.S. contractor Bechtel

++ Constitutional complaint filed by NGOs accepted for trial ++ First milestone in fight against one of Europe’s largest reservoirs ++ Thousands of…

Growing opposition to Albanian airport

++ Bern Convention calls on Albania to stop airport construction near Narta Lagoon ++ Project in Vjosa Delta endangers thousands of migratory birds ++…

EU Commission targets the wolf

Ursula von der Leyen warns of allegedly "dangerous wolves" - nature conservation organisations criticise misleading statements and dubious data…

Romanian forests: EuroNatur calls for a logging moratorium

+++ Open letter to Commissioner Sinkevičius calls for a logging moratorium in protected areas to end destruction of Romanian forests +++ Fourth…

Controversial airport construction in Albanian protected area casts shadow as far as Munich

++ Operating company Munich Airport International (MAI) is linked to illegal Vlora airport ++ Construction to take place in protected area of special…

Swimming for the monk seal

The Croatian free water swimmer Dina Levačić has been swimming in potential monk seal territories. Her campaign is aimed at drawing attention to the…

Wolf Offspring confirmed in the Black Forest

++ Photo trap image from the community of Schluchsee provides evidence of offspring ++ First wolf pack in over 150 years in Baden-Württemberg ++

Stork Village meeting in Tykocin, Poland

It was an anniversary celebrated in style: For the 20th annual meeting, representatives of the European Stork Villages met for the first time in the…

A slight sigh of relief for the Dalmatian pelicans

The Dalmatian pelicans at Lake Skadar are breeding successfully. This is all the more gratifying because last year's breeding season was disastrous.