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Estimate Year assessed Reference<br />

Global 50,000 ?<br />

[5]<br />

Europe (excl. Russia, Belarus) 9,000–10,000 2008<br />

[6]<br />

% of global population 18%<br />

Bohemian-Bavarian 50 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Vosges-Palat<strong>in</strong>ian 19 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Jura >100 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Alp<strong>in</strong>e 130–160 2012<br />

[6]<br />

D<strong>in</strong>aric 120–130 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Balkan 40–50 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Carpathian (excl. Ukra<strong>in</strong>e) 2,300–2,400 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Scand<strong>in</strong>avian 1,800–2,300 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Karelian (excl. Russia) 2,430–2,610 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Baltic (excl. Russia, Belarus) 1,600 2012<br />

[6]<br />

Table 2.<br />

Latest population<br />

estimates for<br />

the Eurasian lynx<br />

globally, <strong>in</strong> Europe<br />

and for European<br />

populations. In<br />

addition, there<br />

are a number of<br />

lynx stemm<strong>in</strong>g<br />

from more recent<br />

<strong>in</strong>troductions, e.g. <strong>in</strong><br />

the Harz mounta<strong>in</strong>s<br />

<strong>in</strong> Germany.<br />

the global range. In Europe, the lynx can be found<br />

<strong>in</strong> 10 populations, the largest of which occur <strong>in</strong><br />

Karelia (exclud<strong>in</strong>g Russia, 25%), the Carpathians<br />

(exclud<strong>in</strong>g Ukra<strong>in</strong>e, 23%), Scand<strong>in</strong>avia (18%) and<br />

the Baltic (15%), which together account for around<br />

81% of European lynx (Table 2). All of these (and the<br />

Balkan population) are autochthonous, i.e. not the<br />

result of re<strong>in</strong>troductions [6, 9] . Most European lynx<br />

populations are stable or <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g [6] .<br />

A population of about 2,500 lynxes occurs <strong>in</strong><br />

the Karelia region of F<strong>in</strong>land [6] , which was recolonised<br />

from Russia follow<strong>in</strong>g local ext<strong>in</strong>ction by the<br />

1950s [8] . S<strong>in</strong>ce then, the population has <strong>in</strong>creased<br />

<strong>in</strong> abundance and range, particularly over the last<br />

twenty years and, as a result, now connects with<br />

neighbour<strong>in</strong>g populations [8] . The lynx is not fully<br />

protected <strong>in</strong> both countries with<strong>in</strong> this population; it<br />

is a game species <strong>in</strong> Russia and is harvested annually<br />

<strong>in</strong> F<strong>in</strong>land (59 per year between 1996 and 2001) [8] .<br />

One of the largest cont<strong>in</strong>uous lynx populations<br />

<strong>in</strong> Europe occurs <strong>in</strong> the Carpathians [6] . The<br />

lynx is stable here and currently strictly protected<br />

<strong>in</strong> all countries with<strong>in</strong> this range, except <strong>in</strong><br />

Romania, where hunt<strong>in</strong>g occurs under derrogation<br />

[6] . Despite the complete isolation from other<br />

populations, there are no concerns about genetic<br />

variation of this population [2] . Hav<strong>in</strong>g been on<br />

the br<strong>in</strong>k of ext<strong>in</strong>ction <strong>in</strong> the early 20 th century,<br />

the Scand<strong>in</strong>avian population now numbers<br />

around 2,000 <strong>in</strong>dividuals [6] , with the majority<br />

occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Sweden [10] . Controlled hunt<strong>in</strong>g (90<br />

per year between 1996 and 2001 <strong>in</strong> each country)<br />

is carried out due to conflicts where livestock<br />

depredation is highest. There is a compensation<br />

scheme <strong>in</strong> place <strong>in</strong> both Norway and Sweden [8] . The<br />

Baltic population is cont<strong>in</strong>uous <strong>in</strong> the northern<br />

part of its range (Estonia, northeast Latvia and<br />

northern Belarus) [5] but fragmented <strong>in</strong> the south<br />

106

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