Slovenia
Slovenia is a small country in Europe (38th in size) and was also behind the iron curtain. Until the 1990s it was joined with Yugoslavia.Â
Slovenia contains a small portion of the Alps, and as such has a relatively rich wildlife. There are thought to be between 86 and 110 wolves in the country. Until recently limited to the West and Southern parts of the country, however 3 male female pairs have been recorded in the pre-alpine and alpine parts of the country in recent years. Furthermore, a howling test in 2019 identified 3 new packs previously unrecorded.
The Lynx was nearing extinction in the country but thanks to some translocation from Romania and elsewhere, there are now 24 in the Dinaric alps, and a further 5 in the Alps. This is a cross border population (with Croatia) and brings the total population to around 100.
There are thought to be around 900 bears within the country, which is a good number. This population is not being allowed to grow, and around 200 are culled each year. Their range is shown in the map below, as you can see, their range extends far beyond the Alps.
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Links will be added beneath an amalgamation of all the news posts we have made on Slovenia. As we connect with people and places, these will appear below
First recorded fatal bear attack in Slovenia in living memory
Bears are highly intelligent fascinating animals. However it must also be remembered, that they are highly efficient predators, and that they are more than capable of defending themselves. The Slovenian bear population has tripled in the last 20-years, and there are increasingly loud calls to legalise hunting. This will only make these calls more insistent.
Wolves in the Alps are growing fast – 25% up in one year
The alps are essentially the centre of western Europe, while the Carpathians are the centre of eastern europe.
Predator recovery across Europe – Part 2 – Bears
The decline in bear numbers occurred earlier than wolves in many areas, and as bears are slow breeders compared to wolves it can take a long time for populations to recover. In this post I will outline the main populations in Europe.