In Memoriam Štefan Zatroch
(1936 – 2022)

Posted - Jan 13, 2022


After Ludvík Kunc left us forever last year, his friend and exceptional man, a lynx expert Štefan Zatroch, passed away in the beginning of this year as well.

Jakub Kubala, from the Slovak LIFE Lynx project team remembers Mr. Zatroch with these words:

It was a great honor for me that we have become a part of his exceptional life story (very nicely documented in a documentary film Hunters stories – The lynx Catchers

His efforts and work during long 33 years have led to the live capture and translocation of 46 Eurasian lynxes from the Slovak Carpathians for almost all historical reintroduction programs in Europe. It is both, a great inspiration for us, nevertheless also the memento that the lynx is a species that can connect and unite us all across the spectrum of interest groups and stakeholders (including hunters, foresters, nature conservation, landowners, and volunteers etc.).

Thank you very much Mr. Zatroch, for everything, rest in peace.

The Štefan Zatroch’s story and legacy, as well as present activities with lynx in the Carpathians, confirm that we can all work together on relevant issues and objectives concerning the lynx conservation and management at both national and European level. The joint efforts of hunting, forestry and nature conservation have created something truly exceptional in the story of Štefan Zatroch and lynx in the Slovak Carpathians. This is a very important precedent and starting point for further conservation and management of nature and large carnivores in Slovakia as well as in Europe, with the participation of all interest groups and opinions as well as the acceptance of independent scientific data and outputs.

Štefan Zatroch in 2010 explains to future members of the Slovak LIFE Lynx team the lynx capture technique, near the rest of the historical box trap. Photo: Peter Smolko.

Group photo with Štefan Zatroch on Ravens stones site.

The Štefan Zatroch´s historical box trap model. Photo Peter Smolko.