Abstract

Knowledge about the number of Eurasian lynx in Poland is important from the viewpoint of lynx protection and education of society in the field of wild animals. The occurrence of lynx in Poland is limited to the forest environment. These animals rarely leave forested areas as the territories used by humans are a relevant barrier in long-distance migrations. Habitats' fragmentation is probably the most important factor determining the stability of the lynx population. This is evidenced by the comparison of the species situation in areas with different levels of forestation. Based on the collected data, we observed that Eurasian lynx occur mostly in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, which is a part of Carpathian Mountains, and in the primeval forests of north-eastern part of Poland. In the west part is still scarce. Our study presents estimation of the number of Eurasian lynx in Poland from 2004 to 2018 and the prediction of the trend in the population development in the next 10 years, using Holt's model as statistical analysis which is the most useful for wildlife populations. The data were collected from Central Statistical Office of Poland and supplementary data from the Polish Hunting Association in Poland. This study may be helpful for the better understanding of the species and also to protect it, because since 1995 the Eurasian lynx is an endangered species in Poland. Many institutions have been implementing conservation plans for this species, mainly attempts to reintroduce the species are used into the most suitable areas of Poland.