CONSERVATION STRATEGY for the Bohemian-Bavarian-Austrian Lynx population C1001 3Lynx Project index number and acronym Lead partner Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic Project website https:/www.interreg-central.de/Content.Node/3Lynx.html Page 1 3Lynx project partners: Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic Šumava National park Administration ALKA Wildlife o.p.s Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic Government of Upper Austria Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna Green Heart of Europe Bavarian environmental agency World Wide Fund for Nature Germany Slovenia Forest Service Italian Lynx Project Suggested citation: Czech Ministry of Environment et.al. (2020). Conservation Strategy for the Bohemian-Bavarian-Austrian Lynx population. Prague. 104 pages. Front picture: playing kittens in the Bavarian Forest. © Julius Kramer, FokusNatur Page 2 Conservation strategy for the Bohemian-Bavarian-Austrian Lynx population – DIRECTORY Directory CONSERVATION STRATEGY FOR THE BOHEMIAN-BAVARIAN-AUSTRIAN LYNX POPULATION ..................................1 CONSERVATION STRATEGY FOR THE BOHEMIAN-BAVARIAN-AUSTRIAN LYNX POPULATION – DIRECTORY ........................3 1. POLICY STATEMENT ..........................................................................................................5 2. SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................6 3. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................8 4. VISION .......................................................................................................................9 5. STATUS ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................... 10 5.1. SPECIES INFORMATION ................................................................................................... 10 5.1.1. TAXONOMIC INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 10 5.1.2. HISTORICAL RANGE .................................................................................................... 10 5.1.3. ECOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 11 5.1.3.1. REPRODUCTION AND MORTALITY .................................................................................... 11 5.1.3.2. DEMOGRAPHY AND POPULATION DYNAMICS .......................................................................... 11 5.1.3.3. DIET AND FOOD ECOLOGY ........................................................................................... 11 5.1.3.4. HABITAT AND LAND TENURE SYSTEM ................................................................................ 12 5.2. DISTRIBUTION OF THE BOHEMIAN-BAVARIAN-AUSTRIAN LYNX POPULATION ............................................... 13 5.3. POPULATION INFORMATION .............................................................................................. 15 5.3.1. LYNX FAMILIES ........................................................................................................ 15 5.3.2. LYNX MORTALITY ...................................................................................................... 15 5.3.3. POPULATION SIZE ..................................................................................................... 15 5.4. PRESENT STATUS OF THE BOHEMIAN-BAVARIAN-AUSTRIAN LYNX POPULATION ............................................ 16 5.4.1. GENETIC MONITORING AND GENETIC HEALTH .......................................................................... 16 6. SITUATION ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................... 18 6.1. LEGAL STATUS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND POLICY ........................................................................... 18 6.1.1. INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................... 18 6.1.2. NATIONAL LEGISLATION ............................................................................................... 20 6.1.2.1. AUSTRIA ............................................................................................................ 20 6.1.2.2. GERMANY........................................................................................................... 20 6.1.2.3. CZECH REPUBLIC ................................................................................................... 21 6.1.3. POLICY AND SPECIES CONSERVATION .................................................................................. 21 6.2. INTEREST GROUPS / STAKEHOLDERS ..................................................................................... 21 6.3. CONFLICTS AND PUBLIC AWARENESS ..................................................................................... 22 6.3.1. CONFLICTS WITH HUMAN INTERESTS ................................................................................... 22 6.3.2. PUBLIC AWARENESS AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ........................................................................ 22 6.4. CURRENT ACTIVITIES IN CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT AND RESEARCH ................................................... 22 6.4.1. AUSTRIA .............................................................................................................. 22 6.4.2. GERMANY ............................................................................................................. 23 6.4.3. CZECH REPUBLIC ...................................................................................................... 23 7. SWOT ANALYSIS .......................................................................................................... 24 7.1. INTERNAL STRENGTHS ................................................................................................... 24 7.1.1. HABITAT POTENTIAL AND LOCATION IN CENTRAL EUROPE ............................................................. 24 7.1.2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REINTRODUCED POPULATION.................................................................. 24 7.1.3. SPECIFIC LEGAL OBLIGATION .......................................................................................... 25 Page 3 7.1.4. LONG TERM PARTNERSHIP ON REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND TRANSBOUNDARY LEVEL ...................................... 25 7.1.5. EXTENSIVE AND ROBUST KNOWLEDGE ABOUT LYNX..................................................................... 26 7.2. INTERNAL WEAKNESSES .................................................................................................. 26 7.2.1. THREE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ......................................................................................... 26 7.2.2. SECTORAL DEALING WITH THREE DIFFERENT TROPHICAL LEVELS ....................................................... 27 7.2.3. COMPLEX TOPIC – NO EASY SOLUTIONS ................................................................................ 27 7.2.4. LOW PRIORITY, DISCONTINOUS PARTICIPATION, LACKING PRACTICAL GOALS ........................................... 27 7.3. EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES .............................................................................................. 28 7.3.1. PERFECT PILOT REGION ............................................................................................... 28 7.3.2. PERFECT SPECIES...................................................................................................... 28 7.3.3. SETTING STANDARDS .................................................................................................. 29 7.3.4. STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT .......................................................................................... 29 7.3.5. EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL ............................................................................................. 29 7.4. EXTERNAL THREATS ..................................................................................................... 29 7.4.1. FRAGMENTATION OF LYNX DISTRIBUTION .............................................................................. 30 7.4.2. FRAGMENTATION OF LYNX OCCURENCES ............................................................................... 30 7.4.3. HABITAT DETERIORATION AND LOSS ON SMALL SCALE .................................................................. 30 7.5. INBREEDING ............................................................................................................. 31 7.6. DISEASES ................................................................................................................ 31 7.7. HUMAN-INDUCED MORTALITY ............................................................................................ 32 7.7.1. ILLEGAL KILLING ...................................................................................................... 32 7.7.2. TRAFFIC MORTALITY .................................................................................................. 32 7.7.3. CAPTIVE LYNX AND ESCAPES/ILLEGAL RELEASES ....................................................................... 32 7.8. LACK OF COOPERATION .................................................................................................. 33 7.8.1. SECTORAL PERSPECTIVES .............................................................................................. 33 7.8.2. LOUDNESS INSTEAD OF ARGUMENTS – RAISING SELF-INTEREST .........................................................