The Eurasian lynx has one of the largest ranges of any of the world's cat species, and was originally distributed throughout most of Europe and northern and central Asia. Today it occurs from Scandinavia eastwards through all of Russia and Siberia to North Korea, in Mongolia and China, and southwards to northern India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is also found in northern Iran, Turkey, Georgia and some of the central Asian republics.
In Europe the largest populations are in Scandinavia, the Baltic region, and in the Carpathian Mountains of Poland, Slovakia and Romania. A smaller population exists in the Balkans, particularly in Macedonia. In Western Europe, successful lynx reintroductions have taken place in Switzerland, Germany, France and Slovenia, while natural spread and colonisation has led to new populations occurring in northern Italy, parts of Germany and Croatia.
