The project aims to improve uncertain situation of the Eurasian lynx at the edge of its natural range in Poland and to solve the identified problems and threats confirmed by e.g. the report submitted to the European Commission in 2019.

The main goals of the project are:

1. Restoring the historical range of the Baltic lynx metapopulation in Central Europe by establishing genetically diverse local “stepping stone” populations in northern Poland.

2. Creating conditions for effective dispersal and gene flow within the Baltic lynx metapopulation in Poland, as well as through bridge populations in Lithuania between the core range of the species in Eastern Europe and the peripheral populations in Central Europe, thereby enabling the natural return of lynx to the lowlands of north-eastern Germany.

3. Maintaining public acceptance of the conservation status of the lynx in Poland, Lithuania, and Germany, and obtaining support for the conservation and management strategy for the Baltic lynx metapopulation in Poland, developed in cooperation with key stakeholders and international partners.

In detail, the Project addresses the main threats identified for the Baltic lynx population in Poland:

– High mortality

– Low genetic variability

– Lack of connectivity within the metapopulation in Poland and Lithuania

– Low public acceptance

The Project will be implemented by:

– Zachodniopomorskie Towarzystwo Przyrodnicze (ZTP, West Pomeranian Nature Society) – the coordinating beneficiary, responsible for the reintroduction of lynx in northern Poland;

– Spychowo Forest District – will establish a lynx rehabilitation centre in north-eastern Poland;

– Ecosystem Protection Centre Association (Lithuania) – a partner working to increase knowledge and acceptance of the presence of lynx in southern Lithuania;

– Rewilding Oder Delta (Germany) – will establish a field team trained by the Polish team to increase knowledge and acceptance of lynx presence in the Polish-German border region;

– WWF Poland Foundation – will carry out promotional activities to maintain public acceptance of lynx conservation status and will support the creation of a field team to monitor lynx in the forests of north-eastern Poland. WWF is also a co-financier of the project. 

These goals will be achieved by providing:

1. Genetic diversity of the founding group from the Baltic lowland population (from ZTP’s own breeding centre, other breeding centres, and zoos, potentially also through translocations of wild animals) for new or existing local lynx subpopulations (created under the project “Return of the Lynx to North-Western Poland” implemented by ZTP in 2017–2023). The area of direct reintroduction activities covers the northern part of Poland, where the “Northern Ecological Corridor” runs from the western to the eastern border.

2. Comprehensive care for lynx (preparing animals for return to the wild, including telemetry; eliminating threats such as scabies by monitoring released, telemetry-tagged and treated infected lynxes), carried out by the western field group (ZTP in north-western Poland) and the eastern field group trained by ZTP.

3. Field diagnostics in Lithuania, e.g. monitoring the dispersal of lynxes from Poland to Lithuania.

4. Preparing the German public for the return of the lynx by establishing and training a field team from Rewilding Oder Delta, which will monitor the occurrence of lynx on the Polish-German border and conduct workshops for local communities.

5. Creation of a “Genotype Library” of the Eurasian lynx to be used in planning ex situ and in situ conservation measures (identification of genetically unique individuals, determination of population origin, identification of gene flow among populations). Initially, approximately 150 genotypes from previous projects by ZTP, WWF Poland, and the Mammal Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences will be available. These will form the basis of the Lynx Genotype Library, which will be expanded during the project.

6. Public support for maintaining the conservation status of the lynx in Poland and Lithuania, including support from key stakeholders (e.g. foresters, hunters). Project activities will be communicated to local communities and interested parties, including an assessment of the socio-economic impact of planned activities and recommendations for maintaining ecological connectivity along the Northern Ecological Corridor and within the local network of Natura 2000 areas.

7. Exchange of knowledge on best practices and experiences related to lynx reintroduction in Poland and Europe to ensure the feasibility of the Baltic lynx metapopulation conservation and management strategy in Poland, and thus the sustainability of the project results.


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