Photo 1. An aerial view of a section of the Rijeka-Zagreb highway (Photo by Marko Modrić)

First data on the movements of Burni Zip the Lynx

From the first data received from the GPS tracking collar, newly fitted on Burni Zip the Lynx, we learned that the lynx twice crossed the Rijeka-Zagreb highway by going over the Sopač Tunnel. Obviously, the lynx has set up its territory on both the west and east sides of the highway, unlike Goran Zip the Lynx that never ventured west of the highway in the one year it was monitored.

Wildlife crossings are vital when building a highway to ensure the unhindered movement of wild animals and to mitigate habitat fragmentation. Because of the surrounding relief, the section of the Rijeka-Zagreb highway that passes through Gorski Kotar has a number of viaducts and tunnels, so there are several spots where it is possible for animals to move from the west to the east of Gorski Kotar and vice versa. A so-called green bridge has also been built to allow wildlife to cross over the highway; it helps to reduce the isolation effect and enables contact between the animal populations on both sides of the highway.

 Marko Modrić