Bohinj Municipalty is very familiar with nature conservation, since about 66% of its area lays in Triglav National Park and 82% is included in Natura 2000 Network. They recognized the work of local hunting club Nomenj – Gorjuše and their efforts in nature conservation, with an award for lynx reintroduction in the Alps.
At the Municipality celebration, the mayor of Bohinj, Mr. Jože Sodja presented the awarded for special achievements to Peter Benedik, president of the Nomenj Gorjuše Hunting Club. The president of Slovenia, Mr. Borut Pahor, also attended the ceremony.
The mayor of Bohinj, Mr. Jože Sodja presented the awarded for special achievements to Peter Benedik, president of the Nomenj Gorjuše Hunting Club. Photo: Maja Sever
Explanation for the award: “The Nomenj – Gorjuše hunting club has been working in Bohinj for 77 years and is the only hunting family in the Gorenjska region to have joined the lynx conservation project in the Alps. In cooperation with the LIFE Lynx project, the members of the hunting club have built an adaptation enclosure on Jelovica, to quarantine one female and one male lynx for reintroduction. Lynx is our native species, which disappeared from the Dinarides and the Alps in the 19th century. In 1973, six individuals from the Slovak Carpathians were brought to Kočevsko. Due to inbreeding, the population started to die out and human help was needed to preserve it. Thus, in April 2021, the first pair of lynxes was translocated from Romania. The Members of the hunting club named them Aida and Zois and cared for them until their release. The members of the Nomenj Gorjuše hunting club are proud to have contributed to the reintroduction of the lynxes and thus to the preservation of the population in the Alps and the protection of nature. In addition, the reintroduction of the lynx to this area has a positive impact on the local level and tourism in Bohinj.”
The awardees with Bohinj Mayor and President of Slovenia. Photo: Maja Sever
The award. Photo: Maja Sever
Peter Benedik with LIFE Lynx project representatives at the award ceremony. Photo: Pavel Korošec