Where Do Lynx Live in Europe? Eurasian Lynx Populations

Lynx range in Europe at a glance

The Eurasian lynx once lived across almost all of Europe. Forest clearance, the over-hunting of deer and centuries of persecution pushed it back until, by the mid-20th century, it survived mostly in the far north, the east and a few mountain areas. Scientists today usually describe about ten separate European populations, some large and natural, others small and created by reintroductions.

These figures are approximate, come from different survey years and change over time, so they are best read as orders of magnitude.

Native lynx populations: north and east

Scandinavia and Finland. The lynx nearly disappeared from Scandinavia in the 1930s, after decades of bounty hunting. Protection and better management let it recover, and today lynx live through much of Norway, Sweden and Finland, including northern areas where they hunt semi-domestic reindeer. Finland’s population has grown strongly since the 1990s. These countries manage lynx with regulated quotas.

The Baltic region. Estonia and Latvia hold several hundred lynx each, and Estonia has some of the highest lynx densities in Europe. Smaller numbers live in Lithuania, northeast Poland, including the Białowieża Forest, and Belarus.

The Carpathians. The arc of the Carpathian Mountains holds the largest connected lynx population west of Russia, with most animals in Romania and others in Slovakia, southern Poland, western Ukraine, the Czech Republic and northern Hungary. These lynx are big and have been the source for many reintroductions.

The Balkans. The Balkan lynx, a distinct subspecies, survives in the mountains of Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo. With fewer than about 50 adults, it is one of the rarest cats in Europe and is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN on its own.

Reintroduced lynx in central and western Europe

Switzerland. Lynx were wiped out in Switzerland by the early 20th century. From 1971, lynx from the Slovak Carpathians were released in the Swiss Alps and the Jura. Switzerland now has a few hundred lynx and has supplied animals for other projects.

France. Lynx from the Swiss releases spread into the French Jura and northern Alps. Separate releases in the Vosges took place between 1983 and 1993, but the Vosges population has struggled because of illegal killing.

Germany and Austria. Lynx returned to the Bavarian Forest on the German side after releases on the Czech side of the border, in the Šumava region, in the 1980s. Twenty-four lynx were released in the Harz Mountains between 2000 and 2006, and the Harz population has since bred and spread. A European Union LIFE project released 20 lynx in the Palatinate Forest between 2016 and 2020, and newer projects have begun in the Black Forest and the Thuringian Forest. Austria has small groups in the Kalkalpen National Park and near the Czech border.

Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia. Six lynx from Slovakia released in Slovenia in 1973 founded the Dinaric population. By the 2010s it was badly inbred, so a LIFE project brought in new lynx from Romania and Slovakia from 2019 to boost its genetic health.

Italy, Poland and Belgium. Lynx have spread naturally into the Italian Alps from neighboring countries. Poland released lynx in Kampinos National Park near Warsaw and in the northwest of the country. Camera traps have confirmed lynx in the Belgian Ardennes since 2020.

Where are there no lynx in Europe?

There are no wild Eurasian lynx in Britain, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal or most of Spain and Italy. Lynx died out in Britain more than a thousand years ago; see are there lynx in the UK? Spain and Portugal have their own species, the Iberian lynx, which is smaller and specializes in rabbits.

Threats to Europe’s lynx

• Illegal killing. Poaching is a major cause of death in the Bohemian-Bavarian, Vosges and some Alpine populations and is one reason these groups grow slowly.
• Roads and railways. Young lynx searching for a territory travel long distances and are often hit by vehicles. Highways also split forests and keep populations apart.
• Isolation and inbreeding. Many reintroduced groups started from just a few animals, often closely related, and are cut off from other populations.
• Conflict with people. Losses of sheep and semi-domestic reindeer, and competition with hunters for roe deer, cause resentment in some areas.

Wildlife bridges, compensation for farmers and moving lynx between populations are all being used to help.

How to see a lynx in Europe

Wild lynx are shy, nocturnal and spread thinly, so sightings are rare even where they are common. The best chance is to join a guided tracking trip in winter, when footprints show up in snow, in places such as Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Slovakia or the Romanian Carpathians. Visitor centers in the Bavarian Forest National Park and other parks keep lynx in large enclosures. Lynx share many of these forests with gray wolves and brown bears.