A fascinating map reveals the distribution of bears, wolves and lynxes throughout Europe and their proximity to vacation spots.
For thousands of years, terrestrial predators have lived across the continent, from the eastern pockets of Poland and Romania to Italy, France and Spain.
Today, some of their habitats are closer to tourist destinations than visitors think. And a recent bear attack, which resulted in the hospitalization of two people in the Slovak town of Liptovský Mikuláš on March 15, has drawn attention to their presence.
Find out how close your favorite European holiday spot is to bears, wolves and lynx using MailOnline Travel’s interactive map below, based on data from the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe (LCIE).
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These images show the terrifying moment a bear went on a rampage in a Slovak town on March 15. The attack left two people hospitalized at Liptovsky Mikulas.
brown bears
Up to 18,000 brown bears live in 22 European countries, according to the LCIEciting data from 2016.
France and Spain are among popular vacation destinations where brown bear populations are growing. This includes the Spanish Cantabrian Mountains, which have between 321 and 335, and the French Pyrenees, which have 30.
The animals, which can weigh up to 50 kg (320 kg), are also found in a pocket of the Alps that covers Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. Here, the population is between 45 and 69 years old.
Europe is home to up to 18,000 brown bears spread across 22 countries
The largest population (7,360) is found in the Carpathians of Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia.
The largest group is that of the “Dinaric-Pindus” (3,950) which extends over Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia .
wolves
Europe is home to around 17,000 wolves in nine populations in 27 countries. In the photo here we see a wolf in the Czech Republic.
Some 17,000 wolves are distributed across Europe, according to the LCIEwith nine populations spread across 27 countries, more than half of the 44 European countries.
Growing numbers of wolves prowl the central European plains of Germany and Poland, home to between 780 and 1,030 wolves, as well as the Alps of Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland ( 420 to 550).
As with brown bears, the Carpathians support a healthy wolf population (3,460 to 3,849). But unlike bears, it extends to the Czech Republic and Slovakia as well as Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.
The largest population of wolves is that of the Dinaric-Balkan group (around 4,000 individuals) found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.
Other groups include those in northwestern Spain and Portugal (estimated at 2,500 in 2007), Finland (around 200), and Norway and Sweden (around 430).
Lynx
Between 8,000 and 9,000 lynx live in Europe. In the photo here we see an Iberian lynx in Spain.
Europe is home to 8,000 to 9,000 lynx, divided into 11 groups in 21 countries, LCIE data watch.
The predators, which prey on animals such as deer, birds and sheep, are mainly found in Finland, which has a stable population of 2,500 individuals.
As with bears and wolves, a significant population is found in the Carpathian Mountains (2,100 to 2,400) in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine.
Other groups include the Scandinavian lynx found in Norway and Sweden (1,300 to 1,800), the Jura lynx found in France and Switzerland (140), and the Baltic lynx in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine ( 1200 to 1500).
The only two growing populations are in the Harz Mountains of Germany (46) and the Alpine region of Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland (163).