Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme

Protect the Balkan Lynx

The Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme (BLRP) aims to restore a viable Balkan lynx population by addressing key threats. Through transboundary collaboration, research, monitoring, community engagement, policy advocacy and communication, the programme is working to improve conservation strategies, strengthen legal protection, and establish a sustainable habitat network for the species​​.

© MES© MES

© MES

The Balkan Lynx

The Balkan lynx (Lynx lynx balcanicus) is one of the rarest wild cats in Europe, with fewer than 50 individuals remaining. Found in the south-western Balkans, this critically endangered subspecies faces serious threats from habitat loss, poaching and a declining prey base. Learn more about their distribution, habitat, threats, behaviour and ecology.

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The Recovery Programme

The Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme is a joint collaboration of project partners working to protect the Balkan lynx. Learn more about its goals, approach, and partners.

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News Articles

News From Our Projects
12.11.2026

Maintaining Cooperation and Trust

From field monitoring to scientific exchange and regional cooperation, September and October 2026 were busy months for the Balkan Lynx Recovery Programme (BLRP). Three meetings brought together conservationists, researchers and local stakeholders to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships and advance efforts to protect the critically endangered Balkan lynx.
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© PPNEA© PPNEA

© PPNEA

29.10.2026

Wildfires Threaten Balkan Lynx Habitats

Wildfires threaten forest landscapes essential to the survival of the critically endangered Balkan lynx. This year. fires on Tërbun Mountain, in the wider Munella region of northern Albania, have brought this threat close to one of the species’ core habitats.
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© PPNEA© PPNEA

© PPNEA

07.10.2026

Known Individual Documented in a New Area

A Balkan lynx previously recorded in the Polis–Valamarë area has now been documented between Korçë and Skrapar in southern Albania, making it the southernmost recorded sighting of a Balkan lynx in Albania and the Balkans to date. The new record expands our knowledge of this individual’s movements and provides an important clue for finding possible ecological connections between habitats.
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© PPNEA© PPNEA

© PPNEA

17.06.2026
International Lynx Day 2026
Every year on 11 June, International Lynx Day is celebrated worldwide. On this occasion, organisations, partners and local communities carry out a variety of activities to raise awareness about lynx conservation and highlight the importance of protecting species such as the Balkan lynx across the range countries. In Kosovo, a new children's book entitled «Guardian of Nature» was launched, while in North Macedonia activities focused on engaging the public through social media. In Albania, a series of environmental events was organised to introduce young people to the species, its threats and its importance for biodiversity.
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