It has been thirty years since the lynx, once an autochthonous species in Slovenia, has been successfully reintroduced in southern parts of the country. Today, there are about 50 of these predators living in their natural environment in Slovenia.
The project was initiated by hunters Ciril Štrumbelj and Rado Švigelj, who received financial backing from the Swiss Karl Weber, who often came to hunt in Slovenia and is an admirer of Slovenian flora and fauna. Back in 1973, the locals were not in favour of reintroducing the wildcat in their forests, as they were concerned about their livestock and children, says Bojan Lepičnik, president of the Slovenian Hunters' Association. Yet despite these concerns, there has been no incident in the thirty years since the wild animal returned to the Kočevje forests. According to Lepičnik, the move has not threatened the lives of the locals. "On the contrary, we have achieved a balanced movement of the game and the wildcat in their habitat."
The Slovenian lynx has all the features of its family: a short and broad head, tufted ears, long limbs and a short tail. It has a thick coat of long and fine fur and a reddish-grey back with brown spots. Spotting is less evident during the winter months when the coat is longer. There is normally a ruff of longer hair encircling the neck. The end of the tail is black and the belly whitish. Males are stronger than females and weigh up to 50 kilos. The lynx is a hermit, except during the mating season. It is a highly specialised predator, waiting in ambush for its prey. It mainly lives on deer and has no natural enemies, but it does get out of the wolf's way. Its lifespan is between 14 and 17 years.
Slovenian hunters are determined to preserve the population of the lynx in the country. "As compared to thirty years ago, the Bern Convention today not only speaks about the preservation of species but also about the protection of their natural environment," explained Štrumbelj, one of the fathers of the project, referring to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.
The planned preservation of lynx is not underway in the entire territory of Slovenia, but is moving towards the south-west. The Alps in the north are not the most suitable environment for the lynx, as the predator would endanger other species living in the area. Its habitat extends from the Croatian border in the south to SW Slovenia, while a few of the animals have also been spotted in the north of the country.
Text by STA