At the 11th International Fair of Hunting and Fishing, held between April 12th and 14th in Gornja Radgona, LIFE Lynx project was presented by the Hunting Association of Slovenia as one of the partners of the project.
Visitors of the fair were acquainted with the information on the LIFE Lynx project and the process of moving lynxes Goru and Doru from Romania into Slovenia and Croatia. We presented ecology, biology, the history of the lynx population in Slovenia, the condition of the Dinaric population nowadays, the method of telemetric and genetic monitoring of lynx and other wildlife species. Visitors were able to see the fur of the lynx and realized that each specimen has a different pattern of spots on it, which is useful for the individual recognition and monitoring of individuals based on photos from photo-traps. The involvement of hunters and other field workers in monitoring of the population with photo-traps and non-invasive genetic samples makes an essential contribution to the exploration of wildlife species. Visitors could touch the real skull of the lynx and compared the footprints of all three large carnivores: lynx, brown bear and wolf. We showed them a telemetry collar, an antenna and explained how the collar is placed on the animal. The documentary film Path of the lynx was screened for all three days.
LIFE Lynx project stand. Photo: Tadeja Smolej, LIFE Lynx
Screening of the movie Path of the lynx. Photo: Tadeja Smolej, LIFE Lynx
The stand at which the Hunting Association of Slovenia represented the LIFE Lynx project attracted many visitors of the fair that showed high interest and they asked various questions about the project and the project activities. Visitors are aware of the problems and threats of the Dinaric-South Eastern Alpine population of lynxes, the importance of preserving this animal species, encouraging project activities and positively accepting the reintroduction of new specimens.
LIFE Lynx project stand. Photo: Tadeja Smolej, LIFE Lynx
Workshop about project activities. Photo: Urša Kmetec