The indigenous lynx (ris) population in Croatia is the source of the name of Risnjak National Park in the Gorski Kotar mountain region.
Although the indigenous lynx was last seen in 1903, in 1973 a reintroduction of six lynx from Slovakia was successful and paved the way to an increase in population.
However, the population began to fall off in the 1990s to an estimated current size of around 40 to 60 animals, often subject to poaching as they feed off other large animals interesting to hunters.