Eurasian Lynx - Population & Distribution
From desert regions to Himalayan slopes
Over the past 50 to 80 years, autochthonous populations of lynx have made an impressive recovery in northern Europe, in the Carpathians and in north-east Europe, west of Russia, contributing to the 10-fold population during that period.
Current Population and DistributionThe distribution of Eurasian lynx is primarily affected by the availability of forested areas and ungulate populations as prey.
This species has a wide range, extending across Europe, central Asia (it is distributed across the entire Tibetan plateau), Siberia and East Asia. In Europe however, there is now limited connectivity between subpopulations.
The remaining large populations are found in northern Europe, the Baltic, and notably along a broad strip of forest stretching through Russia from the Ural mountains to the Pacific (southern Siberia). There is little information available from the remainder of the lynx's Asian range.
Of the Eurasian lynx subspecies, the Balkan lynx (L. l. martinoi) is listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN, the Caucasus lynx (L. l. dinniki) is probably Threatened, and the status of the Central Asian lynx (L.l. isabellinus) is not well known.