On April 11, 2025, a meeting of non-governmental organizations, foresters from the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, scientists, and nature photography enthusiasts took place at the Ecological Education Center of the Spychowo Forest District. The topic of the workshop was „Monitoring Lynxes – Experiences and Development Perspectives.” The WWF Poland Foundation organized the event together with partners as part of the EU Life project – „Expanding the range of the lynx population in northern Poland.”
The Masuria region is of particular importance for the strictly protected Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Poland. In the second half of the 20th century, the most western population of this predator in our country lived here. Its history ended, or rather was suspended, in 1989. That was when the last family group (a female with two young) was shot in the Piska Forest, and in a short time, the Masurian lynxes became completely extinct.
The restoration of the population in the local forests began several years later. Stefan Jakimiuk from WWF Poland, a co-participant in the previous activities, recalled the course of this undertaking and the methods used for reintroduction during the workshop. The expert also reported on the course and effects of lynx monitoring, which his parent organization currently conducts in that area.
Monitoring activities in the Masurian forests are closely related to the work of geneticists who study hair samples taken from lynxes for DNA diversity among the individuals present there. Professor Mirosław Ratkiewicz from the Mammal Biology Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences presented the participants with the results of these studies, indicating the good genetic condition of the Masurian lynx population.
Jarosław Chyra from the West Pomeranian Nature Society reported on the course of reintroduction activities in northwestern Poland. Lynxes have been released into the wild there since 2019 by the ZTP and partners – to date, about 100 individuals have been released. The essence of the currently implemented Life project is to strengthen the lynx population in northern Poland so that spontaneous exchange of individuals occurs between the eastern and western parts of the country.
In the further part of the workshops, participants had the opportunity to detach themselves a bit from mundane matters thanks to the presentation by Adrian Półrolniczak, a video production expert, and Petras Adaikis from the Association for the Protection of Ecosystems – a Lithuanian partner in the Life project. The former presented the legal aspects of using drones in Poland to the attendees. The lecture by the Lithuanian naturalist concerned the use of drones equipped with thermal cameras to monitor large predators and ungulates.
The culmination of the workshop was a drone flight demonstration at the Piasutno Forest Nursery. The hosts of this area, foresters from the Spychowo Forest District, also invited participants to a site where a rehabilitation enclosure for lynxes and facilities for this undertaking will be built later this year. The plans were discussed by forest manager Krzysztof Krasula.
The LIFE22-NAT-PL-LIFE LYNX PL LT DE project „Expanding the range of the lynx population in northern Poland,” which has been co-financed by the European Union and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, is being implemented by: the West Pomeranian Nature Society (coordinating beneficiary, implementing the reintroduction of lynxes in northern Poland), the Spychowo Forest District, the Association for the Protection of Ecosystems (Lithuania), Rewilding Oder Delta (Germany), and the WWF Poland Foundation, which joined the project this year.
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