Help WWF bring the lynx back to Bulgaria

What will happen to the lynx if its home - the forest - disappears? Nothing good.

If we want to protect wildlife and help species like the lynx return to their historic habitats, we first need to make sure the environment is suitable for them.

Recently, we in Bulgaria have faced a very serious threat to one of our country's natural treasures - the beautiful Bulgarian forests. As well as being extremely valuable to people, they are also home to thousands of plant and animal species. It was therefore essential to stand up in their defence.

Threat to Bulgarian forests

WWF Bulgaria rang the alarm that the Bulgarian state is preparing dangerous amendments to two regulations that would empower uncontrolled logging in Bulgarian forests. These are changes to the Ordinance on logging in forests and the Ordinance on construction in forest areas.

The amendments to the Ordinance on logging provide for mass felling to make clearings for harvesters - heavy logging machines. If adopted, they will allow up to 17% of the forest area to be eligible for clearfelling. Parallel amendments to the Ordinance on construction in forest areas ensure that this 17% is reached by regulating the construction of a new type of haul road for harvesters.

Damage to forest functions

If enacted, the changes will cause:

• forest fragmentation;
• increased erosion;
• damage to forest soils;
• deterioration of forest health;
• a reduction in the capacity of forest ecosystems to perform water protection, water purification, and water retention functions.

All this at a time when natural disasters are becoming more intense and more destructive, and forests are our most important ally in the fight against climate change.

The proposed changes are contrary to the normal functions of forests and the ecosystem services they provide to people. These include protection of soil and water resources, air purification, maintenance of biodiversity, provision of social, educational, scientific, landscape and recreational benefits to society, climate regulation and carbon sequestration. Without forests, our lives would not be the same.

It is abundantly clear that the destruction of such a vast forest area would also be terribly damaging to the many animal species that depend on forests for their existence.

What did WWF undertake?

WWF reacted swiftly against the dangerous changes by organising a petition in defence of the forests. We are happy and proud that thousands of citizens supported the expert position of our organization! In just over two weeks, nearly 6,000 people have joined the initiative and sent their opinions to the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, expressing their opposition to the planned changes. The response was truly phenomenal!

We are still awaiting the reaction of the institutions following the submissions and the outcome of the case. We will continue to monitor the situation closely. We are ready to react with follow-up actions if necessary. We will never stop protecting forests - home to the lynx and to so many other species!

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supports our efforts to help nature and wildlife!

Links:

• More on the topic of the planned changes
• WWF Bulgaria's work for protecting forests

Do lynxes enjoy being in the spotlight? Definitely not. They are quite private, mostly active at night and keep mainly to themselves. It is not often that you can catch a glimpse of a wild lynx, but here in Bulgaria we are hoping to do just that.

Wildlife in Bulgaria

Although small in territory, Bulgaria is one of the leading countries in Europe in terms of biodiversity. According to data from the Red Book, between 60 and 65 000 animal species inhabit the country. As expected, vertebrates are the best studied with 781 known species. Unfortunately, however, many of their populations are at risk.

‘Along with poaching and climate change, one of the biggest threats to large carnivores like the lynx in Bulgaria is habitat fragmentation. Bears, for example, inhabit huge individual territories and travel tens of kilometers a day. However, their route is often blocked by highways, roads, infrastructure projects and other dangerous barriers. That's why WWF has made it a priority to protect and restore the ecological corridors animals use,’ says Nada Tosheva, WWF Bulgaria's Species Conservation Program Manager.

Data from camera traps

Ecological corridor building activities are being rolled out in several mountain ranges in Eastern Europe, including the Balkan Mountain in Bulgaria. The work here is particularly important. Recently, a team of WWF specialists visited the Western Balkan Mountain region and, with the help of local forestry officials, installed camera traps to monitor wildlife.

‘Thanks to camera traps, we study the routes, behavior, mating and feeding habits of animals and their habitats. We are able to identify disturbances in ecological corridors and take adequate action to restore them,’ says Alexander Dutsov, Senior Expert in the Species Conservation Program at WWF.

We haven’t seen footage of lynxes from the camera traps yet, but we are keeping our fingers crossed that that might happen in the near future!

Protecting wildlife

We believe that no one would like to see wild animals like the lynx become only pictures of extinct species in encyclopedias. Species form ecosystems that sustain the balance and life on Earth. We owe the ecosystems vital services such as clean air, clean water, healthy food, medicines, resilience, protection against disasters, natural spaces to inhabit and enjoy. We must not forget that our survival depends on them.

WWF's great mission is to help build a future where people live in harmony with nature and its inhabitants. We are deeply grateful to every person who contributes to this mission! Thank you!

Links:

• Check out our videocast about photo traps
• Learn what we do to protect wildlife in Bulgaria