Surveillance and Directed Management of the Reinforcement Process
The main goal of this action is to track the reinforcement process of the Dinaric-SE Alpine lynx population and provide up-to-date information to help better manage, direct, and maximize the effects of further reinforcement activities. Because lynx are territorial, selection of release sites must account for the current distribution and sex of resident animals to maximize chances for survival and reproduction of the translocated animals. This action will provide essential support to the releases of lynx in actions C3 and C4. Tracking how the genetic picture of lynx population is changing at the transboundary level due to reinforcement activities and the genetic contribution of the released animals will provide data for developing a long-term strategy to ensure the population’s viability and promote population-level management. Telemetry data will also provide information of lynx predation and their ecological impact.
Four complementary methodological approaches will be used to ensure a thorough understanding and direct managing of the reinforcement:
1.) camera-trapping surveys
2.) non-invasive genetic sampling
3.) monitoring of lynx survival and movement through GPS telemetry
4.) examination of all detected lynx mortality.
We will analyse all obtained data annually and prepare yearly reports that will help direct further releases of lynx in Slovenia and Croatia. This action will start with the first releases of lynx (beginning of 2019) and will continue until the last lynx translocations are completed (expected in mid-2023).
Project outputs:
- Final report on Surveillance of the reinforcement process of the Dinaric-SE Alpine lynx population in lynx-monitoring year 2022-2023 (EN, pdf)
- Health surveillance report (EN, pdf)
- Third annual report on Surveillance of the reinforcement process of the Dinaric -SE Alpine lynx population in the lynx-monitoring year 2021_2022 (EN, pdf)
- Second annual report on Surveillance of the reinforcement process of the Dinaric -SE Alpine lynx population in the lynx-monitoring year 2020-2021 (EN, pdf)
- First annual report on Surveillance of the reinforcement process of the Dinaric -SE Alpine lynx population in the lynx-monitoring year 2019-2020 (EN, pdf)
- Lynx camera trapping guidelines (EN, pdf) (CRO, pdf), (IT, pdf)