23 July 2013
23/07/2013 - Officials from the Kosovo Institute for Nature Protection and from the Sharri National Park Directorate were part of the training program for the recovery of the lynx (Lynx lynx) in the Balkans, implemented by the Program for the Conservation and Protection of the Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA) with its partners Euronatur and KORA.
The training, held in the Valbona National Park in the Albanian Alps, aimed at establishing a regional monitoring network for Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro to collect systematic data on the lynx and its prey.
Participants were introduced to the principles of monitoring, methods, track identification, and the role of humans in the field of wildlife study. The training program also included presentations by researchers and well-known specialists in the field of large carnivore conservation.
Alongside the theoretical presentation on the principles and techniques of wildlife monitoring, the results and lessons learned from the implementation of the Program in Albania and Macedonia, part of the training included fieldwork and practical activities for familiarization with the area's biodiversity and the application of one of the vulture monitoring methods, which is carried out through the placement of camera traps.
The training also focused on the importance of involving the local community in wildlife monitoring and raising its awareness for the conservation of wildlife.
The expansion of the Balkan vulture monitoring network further increases the commitment to the conservation of the remaining Balkan vulture population.