...the demand to ban lynx hunting is largely linked to the selfish interests of certain individuals or groups, a desire to draw public attention to themselves, and a negative attitude towards hunting in general," the service explained.

The VMD pointed out that one of the main arguments used by a segment of the public to demand a ban on lynx hunting is that they are not hunted in other European countries, while conveniently ignoring the fact that lynx populations and their habitats in those countries are completely different.

"The argument that lynx hunt animals that damage forests also does not hold up to scrutiny – the lynx's main prey is the roe deer, which causes insignificant damage to forest stands compared to other ungulate species,