Iberian Lynx

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Montenegro became independent as recently as 2006 after a decision to leave the federation with Serbia that retained the title of Yugoslavia. As a new nation there was a lack of governing infrastructure, and this, along with a GDP per capita of $7,320 makes it one of Europe's poorer nations. There are resource limitations to devote to conservation and an existing census of land animals. Specific data on fauna in the region is difficult to locate due to the large concentration in mountainous and unpopulated areas. The nature of Montenegro also has an influence on the lack of data. Within Montenegro, the largest concentration of large animals can be found within the north of the country. These higher numbers can be attributed to the areas being mountainous and containing a virgin forest. Brown bears can be found within this area of Montenegro, living within Biogradska Gora national park. There are estimated to be less than 130 individuals living in the wild. These bears are known to reach a weight of up to 200 kg and generally remain docile except for mating season. Other carnivores such as wolves and Balkan lynxes live in the virgin forest as well, remaining distant from urban areas, this excludes occasional issues occurring from wolves hunting livestock. The Balkan Lynx along with other European species of lynx, remains critically endangered and there have been efforts from environmental organisations to increase protection and prevent extinction of the species. The Balkan lynx has an estimated population of between 40 and 70 individuals in the wild. It can be found in neighbouring countries such as Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania. Its existence is under severe threat and only outside agencies such as the United Nations have been able to allocate some resources to saving the animal from likely extinction. Among these larger carnivores is the golden jackal, wild dogs that retain a more slender build and lighter coat than wolves. The population of golden jackals have been reported as stable and increasing in Eastern Europe as there were previous fears about the species reaching extinction. Montenegro has two predominant species of deer, these are the red deer and the roe deer. Alongside these fauna in the mountains is the Balkan Chamois, a small mountain goat native to the Balkan mountain regions, which can be found in most mountainous areas of Montenegro. In more southern regions of the country smaller carnivores such as otters can be found. Otters are predominantly concentrated around Lake Skadar. 38.12% of Montenegro is made up of agricultural land, resulting in a range of domesticated mammals populating the country, these domesticated animals include large numbers of rabbits and livestock.

In Their Own Story

An excavation conducted between 2010 and 2014 in Northern Montenegro led to the discovery and analysis of animal species in the Pleistocene era. This era lasted from 2 588 000 BC till 11700 BC. Fossils were found in Northern Montenegro belonging to forest elephants and Stephanorhinus, descendants of elephants and rhinoceros. Further fossil data revealed fossils from families Hyaenidae and Felidae, the former being remnants of a large hyena and second being evidence of a sabre toothed cat. The excavation revealed data suggesting the presence of large fauna throughout Montenegro and the remainder of Eurasia throughout the course of the Pleistocene era.

Reader's Guide

There are a range of factors that pose a risk to the degradation of the Montenegrin ecosystem. The coastal regions are threatened by the release of polluted water into the ocean as well as the discharge from boats in regions with high levels of tourism. A significant threat to wetland and water systems is the growth of algae in the water as a result of human settlement. Hunting associations pose a threat to some of the larger species of mammals. Due to the limited resources of the government, data surrounding larger mammals originates from these hunting societies. Other threats posed to the ecosystem of Montenegro include unregulated logging within forested areas. This is alongside the introduction of foreign species for commercial use. There are difficulties to resolving these issues such as a lack of organisation and financial resources from government entities within Montenegro. Another barrier is the lack of public awareness for the ramifications of environmental degradation. Montenegro has recently made efforts to renewable energy with 13 privately owned hydro plants currently functioning within the country. These plants have contributed to rivers and springs drying up, posing a risk to the amphibian population and marine biodiversity. There have been efforts from activists to prevent the construction of more hydro plants as a means of protecting the marine ecosystem. Forestry became more common during World War II resulting in the degradation of large quantities of forestry. While population data on the majority of Montenegro mammals remains ambiguous, conservation projects have taken place with the purpose of protecting the brown bear and Balkan lynx population within the region. In March 2019, the council for the management of the bear and wolf population was founded. This council works under European Union standards and aims to provide a more consistent data analysis of the bear and wolf population within Montenegro followed by intervention to reduce the pressure on these animals and their natural habitat. European Bear populations in the Dinaric-Pindos were reported as stable and increasing between 2012 and 2016. Alongside this council exists efforts from the United Nations to protect the Balkan lynx population, this project is based in North Macedonia and seeks to reduce poaching of these lynxes throughout the Balkans. These conservation initiatives are part of a movement from the Montenegro government to increase awareness for their national fauna, with the council for the management of bear and wolf population serving as a condition of Montenegro's entry into the European Union. The Balkan Lynx population was recorded as stable between 2012 and 2016. There is increasing pressure on the government of Montenegro to conserve these larger mammals due to their extinction in oth

Did You Know?

• Montenegro is the smallest Balkan nation in population and second smallest in land mass.
• The land mass is 13,812 square kilometres with 360 square kilometres of water.
• Forested area makes up 40.4% of the nation's landmass.
• Brown bears in Montenegro are known to reach a weight of up to 200 kg.
• The Balkan lynx has an estimated population of between 40 and 70 individuals in the wild.