The Frequently Asked Questions section of the EU Platform website provides a list of common questions which come up regarding the presence of large carnivores in Europe. Here we select one to present in the newsletter, but further questions and answers can be viewed online.

Are all large carnivore populations doing equally well?

No. Not all large carnivore populations are in favourable conservation status. Although the overall picture shows stabilization or positive population trends, some species with either very localized geographical distribution (i.e. Iberian lynx) or in very low densities (usually in the periphery of their distributional range (i.e. Balkan lynx – a presumed subspecies of the Eurasian lynx) are in a rather precarious or a potentially endangered status. Even in the case of the large carnivore populations which are doing well (i.e. brown bear, wolf, wolverine) fragments of their populations, again in the periphery of their distributional range, are in a more precarious and vulnerable status and conservation threats such as habitat fragmentation and intolerance leading to illegal killing, remain high. Conservation and management actions therefore vary considerably depending on the individual populations.