Research overview: Eurasian lynx camera-trap density estimation

The Eurasian lynx ranges across forests of Europe and Asia, and its spotted coat enables individual identification, making it a frequent subject of camera-trap capture-recapture density studies. This overview surveys methods used to estimate lynx density across diverse European landscapes, including spatially explicit capture-recapture, the design of camera grids matched to large lynx home ranges, and the integration of results into transboundary monitoring of recovering and reintroduced populations. It discusses challenges such as low densities requiring extensive arrays, snow and winter fieldwork, and standardizing estimates across countries for population assessment. The overview highlights how camera trapping has become the backbone of lynx monitoring in Europe, supplying the density and trend data needed to manage a recovering large carnivore amid debates over its conservation and coexistence with people.