On the eve of the International Lynx Day, WWF-Ukraine has launched the project “Don’t hesitate to save the lynx”. The goal of the project is to preserve the lynx in the Carpathian and Polissia regions where it lives. To do this, WWF-Ukraine is looking for and uniting friends of the lynx. Ukrainian brands Oliz and Yakush have become the first friends of the Eurasian lynx: they donate part of the proceeds from their spotted collections to support the work of WWF-Ukraine. We are creating a trend to support the largest cat in Europe, which is losing its home! By choosing an animal print, you emphasize the problem and contribute to its solution.Since 1994, when the lynx was included in the Red Book of Ukraine and hunting was banned, the animal’s population has not increased significantly, and little is known about its life. In Ukraine, lynxes are found in the Carpathians (about 400 individuals) and in Polissia (up to 100 individuals). The health of ecosystems and the life cycle of other species of animals and plants (including Red Data Book species) living near it depend on this species. “For effective protection of any species, it is necessary to have solid data on its number, distribution, and dynamics of these indicators, to understand the threats and challenges it faces. We believe that it is critically important to create a state biodiversity monitoring system. Without it, it will be impossible to ensure effective protection of the fauna of Ukraine, in particular the Red Book species,” said Taras Yamelynets, Head of the Rare Species Unit at WWF-Ukraine. WWF-Ukraine has already managed to collect and analyze data on lynx sightings in 650 locations and from more than 500 institutions in the Carpathians and Polissia to create an up-to-date map of the lynx distribution in Ukraine and its forest habitats for effective planning of conservation measures and study of the species; to significantly increase lynx monitoring in the Carpathians and Polissia using photo traps. In total, since 2019, 74 tracking devices and necessary accessories have been transferred to nine nature conservation and three forestry institutions; to develop methodological recommendations for monitoring lynx in the Carpathians and Polissia, which are recommended by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine for forestry workers and nature reserve institutions. Funding: WWF-Poland, HORIZON and Interreg programs of the European Union.
Ukrainians, brands and companies can support the activities of WWF-Ukraine, which will help to find out how many lynxes are left in Ukraine today, to purchase the necessary equipment for their monitoring, conservation and comfortable existence of lynxes in Ukraine. As an organization that cares about the future, WWF-Ukraine aims to inspire Ukrainians to support the nature-friendly restoration of Ukraine right now.
You can view the project and support it at https://specials.wwf.ua/lynx.
The development was implemented by the Ukrainian web team Figmatica.
WWF-Ukraine is a chapter of WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), one of the most influential and largest independent conservation organizations in the world. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural systems and build a future where people live in harmony with nature.
