Dispersal

Press release, FVA Baden-Württemberg, 16 April 2026:

The collar transmitter has been providing data since summer 2025

Experts at the FVA believe that the lynx, named Juro, likely migrated to Baden-Württemberg from lynx populations in Switzerland. Its exact origin remains unclear. The animal, believed to have been born in 2024, was first recorded in Baden-Württemberg near Schopfheim at the end of August. The sighting was confirmed by a kill reported to the FVA as part of the state-wide monitoring programme. That very evening, the FVA fitted him with a transmitter with veterinary assistance from Karlsruhe Zoo and support from the local gamekeeper.

In search of a mate: leaving the southern Black Forest during the rutting season

Since being fitted with a transmitter, Lynx Juro has been roaming a territory of 780 square kilometres. He regularly travelled between Kandern and Wehr via the Belchen area and had been considered territorial, i.e. settled, in the southern Black Forest since the end of February.

The lynx mating season, known as the rutting season, begins in early February. Satellite data revealed to the FVA’s lynx monitoring team that, from this period onwards, Juro repeatedly headed towards the Swiss border until he finally crossed it, presumably in search of a mate. At least two other lynx are currently known to be in the southern Black Forest: the territorial male lynx Wilhelm and B3015, whose sex is still unknown.

Habitat connectivity important for a healthy lynx population

On his way to Switzerland, the male lynx Juro successfully crossed the A98 twice near Binzen – a young male lynx was killed here in March last year. In Bad Säckingen, he crossed the B34. For the first time, it has been possible to document which sections a lynx actually uses for its migration to Switzerland. Data sent to the FVA Wildlife Institute by collars fitted to various animal species is particularly important for this very purpose. It shows which wildlife corridors are used and in which other areas corridors or green bridges are necessary.

It remains to be seen whether the male lynx Juro will find both a suitable territory and a female lynx in Switzerland, or whether he will return to the southern Black Forest after the mating season. The FVA is in close contact with the KORA Foundation, which coordinates lynx monitoring in Switzerland, as well as with the relevant cantons. Dr Kristina Vogt, coordinator of the European Linking Lynx Network and lynx expert at KORA, explains: “The lynx populations in the Black Forest are part of the Upper Rhine lynx metapopulation. Regular genetic exchange between them is important for the long-term conservation of the lynx in this region.”

“The Upper Rhine Valley between the Black Forest and the Swiss Jura is a barrier that restricts the movement of wild animals,” says Eva Klebelsberg. Connectivity between habitats is becoming increasingly difficult here due to various land uses and intense development pressure. “There are now only a few undeveloped sections of the Rhine that allow crossing into and out of Switzerland. But even these are becoming increasingly narrow due to construction projects.‘ However, an exchange between the Swiss and Baden-Württemberg lynx populations is essential to establish a stable lynx population in the border triangle. ’Juro therefore also provides us with clues as to which corridors must be preserved at all costs to enable the lynx to migrate."

Project supports exchange between populations

Findings to date from the FVA’s lynx monitoring and wildlife research show that individual male lynx, in their younger years, are able to cross even heavily fragmented and developed barriers such as the Upper Rhine Valley. Females, on the other hand, are much more cautious in their dispersal, cross barriers less frequently and usually settle near their birth territory. ‘The state wishes to promote this vital exchange between lynx populations and has therefore launched the “Lynx Baden-Württemberg” project,’ said Minister Hauk.

Up to ten lynx, preferably females, are to be released into the wild in the Black Forest. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection (MLR) has commissioned the project. Since 2023, it has been implemented by the FVA in close cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg State Hunting Association, the WWF and Karlsruhe Zoo. The Lynx Initiative and the alosa Foundation support the project. An important component of the project is the habitat network. This also places a focus on securing wildlife corridors.