North Macedonia

On the full moon night of 26 January 2024, the team from the Macedonian Ecological Society (MES) marked a significant achievement. On that night, a healthy young female Balkan lynx weighing 16 kilograms was captured in a box trap set just a few days earlier.

The lynx was in the Bukovik area, a key bio-corridor for the Balkan lynx and an essential part of the wildlife connectivity network.

The capture was part of ongoing conservation efforts within the BLRP and may provide new insights into the biology and ecology of the critically endangered animal, as well as a better picture of the bio-corridors used. Radio-telemetry data shows for example that her preferred prey is roe deer, as seen by all the kills so far. The map reveals that she holds an area of around 140 km2, covering forests and meadows, but occasionally she'd visit high-mountain pastures.  

Luna is one of 14 individuals captured as part of the project since its start in 2006.