The largest Balkan lynx captured in Mavrovo National Park

This weekend marked the capture of another Balkan lynx individual, near the village Sence, Mavrovo National Park, sixth in a row ever since the research inception in 2010 using radio-telemetry and GPS tracking by the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES). It should be underlined that the lynx, provisionally named B8, is the record-holder for the largest Balkan lynx individual ever to be captured for scientific study. Weighing twenty-seven kilograms, this individual is a real-life “beast”.

–This weekend we received a signal that a box-trap had been activated and we, the MES team and Park employees, headed immediately to the site. We were pleasantly surprised to find a large, 27-kg male, which was identified as a resident of the Park, with a total of 12 appearances on camera-traps on various sites over the last six years, states Dime Melovski, managing MES Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme.

Having been collared, B8 for three days in a row has been sending information about its whereabouts within the Park. Radio-telemetry data will help to better understand lynx’ food and habitat preferences, and its range.

MES organised a poll to give a name to the new lynx. Proposals included: Bistri, Filip, Jovan, Mujo, Senko, and Vir. A total of 913 people placed a vote, with the majority choosing the name Bistri.

Ever since 2010, MES has captured and collared six lynx individuals: Marko, Riste, Martin, Deki, Maja, and the latest – Bistri.

It is estimated that the Balkans hosts less than 50 individuals of the Balkan lynx, a species which in 2015 earned the Critically Endangered status according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).