28 Greece KORA Bericht Nr. 7 Historical distribution and present status of the lynx in Greece Maria Panayotopoulou, Frangini 9, 546 24 Thessaloniki, Greece, eMail [email protected] 1. Status of the lynx in Greece work of the National Inventory of Fauna and Flora, a field survey with the objective of collecting recent data 1.1. Distribution in the 19th and early 20th century of lynx presence in Greece, as well as identifying the The lynx was widespread but very rare in Greece dur- main causes of extinction from certain areas, took ing the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Dur- place in 1991–1993. Today there are scarce reports of ing this period, lynx distribution expanded from Mount observations from N. Pindos and Voras Mountains. Olympus south to the Peloponnese. One lynx was The last reports of sightings and/or damage in the Ev- killed on Mount Parnitha (vicinity of Athens) on March ros Mountains and the region of Thrace date back 35– 18, 1862 (Heldreich 1878). The specimen belongs now 40 years. Records from the Rhodope Mountain range to the Zoological Museum of the University of Athens. ended approximately in 1965, when the nomad shep- The scientific mission of Morias (Peloponnese), which herds abandoned the area. However, the present status took place in the last decades of the 19th century reports of the lynx in Greece remains uncertain. lynx distribution on the Peloponnese on the following Since no monitoring project exists for collecting mountains: Mount Olenos of Achaia, Kynouria Moun- evidence of lynx presence, there is no possibility of ac- tains, Flambouritsa gorge (Mount Killini), also an indi- curately assessing the actual lynx status in the two pre- vidual was killed in Xilokastro village (Heldreich viously mentioned areas. Moreover, it is also impossi- 1878). The lynx was more common and widespread in ble to assess the past or present population levels due the mountains of south and north Pindos and in the to the lack of any official data on lynx kills (before its mountains of Macedonia and Thrace: Mount Vitsi, legal protection) or lynx sightings. Mount Varnoundas, Mount Voras and Rhodope Moun- tains (Kalostypis 1886). Regular sightings date back 40–45 years in the plain of Vistonida Lake (Thrace) and Nestos Delta Forest „Kotza Orman“ until the large scale deforestation of the alluvial plain in the early 1950s took place (Papaioannou 1952). Map 2. Distribution of the lynx in Greece up to 1970 1.3. Recent evidence of presence During the National Inventory of Fauna and Flora, we examined three target areas: North Pindos Mountains, Rhodope mountain range and Evros Mountains. Map 1. Lynx distribution in Greece during the 19th and early 20th century. 1.3.1. North Pindos Mts. An area of extensive mixed and coniferous forests with 1.2. Present status, current trend and distribution scattered habitations, which covers almost 1000 km2. Over the last 40 years, there has been a dramatic reduc- In general, the people interviewed knew very little tion of the original distribution of lynx. In the frame- about the lynx and the older people had only a faint Juni 2001 Greece 29 idea of the species' appearance and behavior. The three 1.4. Additional information from other areas most important reports were the following: • Sightings and livestock damage in Mount Flega, 1.4.1. Mount Voras (border with the Former Yugoslav Metsovo, September–November 1991; Republic (FYR) of Macedonia) • Sighting in Vrissohori 1986, by M. Karagiannopou- Mount Voras or Mount Kaimaktchalan is the third lou (farmer, age over 70); highest mountain in Greece and together with Mounts • Sighting in Vrissohori 23/4/1978 by D. Kaprantzas Tzena and Pinovo they form a continuously forested (school teacher, age over 60). mountain range along the border with FYR of Mace- donia. Forest coverage is over 80% with the exception 1.3.2. Evros Mountains of the pseudo-alpine areas above the timberline. The Contrary to the situation described in North Pindos, region has recently been recolonised by bears, originat- villagers in the Evros Mountains (Thrace) are familiar ing from the neighboring mountains of FYR of Mace- with the lynx. The species has a local name „sari donia. gutzuk“ (sari = reddish, buff, gutzuk =croptailed, short tailed). The main aim of the research in this area was to Lynx observations: investigate the reasons for the extinction of lynx from • Sighting at Dobro Pole, March 1993 (shepherd); the area. Among 11 people that were asked, 6 had seen • Sighting at Skopos area, winter 1995–1996 (wood- a lynx at least three decades ago in the forests and for- cutters). ested areas of Dadia-Aissymi – Lefkimi, Treis Vryses and Nea Sanda. Shepherds reported that the lynx was already rare in the period 1950–1960. The same is also stated by the Pomaki shepherds, who inhabit the east- ern and central part of the Rhodhope Mountains. Local people are familiar with the cry of the lynx and shep- herds believe that the lynx were frightening away the wolves which were responsible for the killing of nu- merous sheep and goats. However, the lynx was attack- ing too, but in a different manner, killing one or two animals at a time on a regular basis. The last two lynx in the Evros region were sighted by local shepherds in Gimbrena (in the area of Dadia forest), approximately at the end of the 1960s. A lynx was killed in Gimbrena in 1958. 1.3.3. Central and west Rhodhope mountain range This region is a large undisturbed forested area cover- ing more than 2000 km2. Most of the villages within this mountain range are now abandoned. The main eco- nomic activity is timber production, while livestock raising is very limited. Since the area is practically un- Map 3. Recent observations of lynx in Greece (see text). inhabited, only a few people can provide information on sightings, and these are mainly forest workers. Sara- katsani nomadic shepherds who lived there until 1965 reported the last records of lynx in this region. During 1.4.2. Nestos Delta the last 35 years and after the abandonment of tradi- The alluvial plane of Nestos today holds the largest riv- tional livestock raising practices the area has been erine forest in Greece and one of the largest in the Bal- naturally reforested with dense forests of spruce, beech kans, the „Kotza Orman“. During the beginning of the and pines. Although the Rhodope Mountains have 1950s large scale drainage and land reclamation works some ideal characteristics as lynx habitat (good roe destroyed 80% of the riverine forest. Today, 50 years deer numbers, extensive forest coverage, very low dis- later, a significant part of the forest has been restored to turbance) it is important to bear in mind that the link its natural status and the restoration project is still con- with the Pindos Mountains and other forested areas to tinuing. The population of jackals is increasing, and a the west is problematic, since large intensively culti- new population of wild boar has been established. The vated plains interfere. Moreover, the lynx is extinct in area hosts the only autochthonous wild pheasant popu- the north (Bulgarian part of the Rhodope mountain lation in Europe. range) and in the east (east Thrace-European part of Turkey). So it has been quite impossible for the lynx to Lynx observations: recolonise the Rhodope Mountains after its extinction. 1. Sighting in Dasochori (east delta), spring 1998 (fo- 30 Greece KORA Bericht Nr. 7 rest ranger and shepherd); • Voras Mountain (border with the FYR of Mace- 2. Sighting in Paradisos, May 1998 (two old women); donia) NATURA 2000, 100km2; 3. Sighting in Dasochori, February 1999 (M. Panay- • Tzena and Pinovo Mountains (border with the FYR 2; otopoulou). of Macedonia) NATURA 2000, 127.4km 2. • Nestos Delta National Park, 60km Our hypothesis about the origins of all the above-men- tioned individuals in N. Pindos, Voras Mountain and Although forest coverage is increasing, the prey base Nestos are the following: remains poor in most areas that could be suitable lynx 1. Occasional transborder movements of lynx coming habitat. Concerning the wild ungulates: from FYR of Macedonia and/or Albania; • Red deer is extinct, only a few individuals are ob- 2. Remnants of an autochthonous population; served in Rhodope; 3. Attempts at reestablishment of a new population • Roe deer is widespread but the populations are nucleus by individuals originating from the greatly reduced due to illegal hunting; neighboring countries; • Chamois exist in small isolated populations. 4. Clandestine releases from zoos or private collec- The hare is widespread, but there is insufficient data on tions (a possible explanation for the Nestos sight- population densities. The University of Thessaly is ings). conducting a population study in Thessaly and Ipeirous. The grouse has only a small population in Rhodhope and Lailias Mts. The hazel grouse is wide- 2. Damage to livestock spread but rare in Varnoundas, Voras, Lailias and Rhodope ranges. A single wild population of pheasant Shepherds in Thrace have reported occasional damage exists in the Nestos Delta and the partridge (mainly dating back 30 years. They can identify differences be- rock) is widespread, locally common due to releases by tween wolf and lynx attacks. They report that the lynx hunters. attacks one animal at a time, and the dogs are afraid of Possible threats include extensive mountain road it. Most of the documented reports and the only ones of networks for timbering or tourist purposes, large scale recent damage are from N. Pindos Mountains (Flega in tree felling which causes deterioration of the best forest Metsovo). ARCTUROS has collected 1000 question- stands and disturbance by legal and illegal hunting.