Translocation

Press release from the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg, 27 November 2024:

‘The establishment and development of a lynx population for Baden-Württemberg is entering the next round. With the release of another animal into the wild, we are continuing the population support project. The lynx female, named ‘Verena’, who is about one and a half years old, follows ‘Finja’, who was released into the wild in December 2023 but unfortunately died of a viral disease in July of this year. The lynx is an important part of European biodiversity. With this population support, the state is making an important contribution to maintaining biodiversity and, in particular, this fascinating and ecologically important species. This is a matter close to my heart. I am therefore all the more pleased that the next release went off without a hitch today,’ said the Minister of Nutrition, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, Peter Hauk MdL, on Wednesday (27 November), on the occasion of the release in the northern Black Forest.

The Black Forest as a suitable habitat

The Black Forest, with its abundance of game and large contiguous forest areas, offers very good conditions for the lynx. In her new home, the young lynx female ‘Verena’, together with the resident male Toni and other animals that will follow, is to form the basis for a healthy population of lynx in Baden-Württemberg.

Unfortunately, ‘Finja’, a female lynx released into the wild last year, died unexpectedly in July as a result of the viral disease distemper.

Europe-wide networking of populations

The reintroduction of up to ten lynxes into the wild in Baden-Württemberg is planned by 2027. Female lynx ‘Verena’ was born in the Swiss animal park Langenberg in spring 2023 and prepared for reintroduction in the wildcat village of Hütscheroda. She comes from the Carpathian lynx conservation breeding programme of the European Association for Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). ‘The reintroduction of lynx from the breeding programme allows us to select animals that differ significantly genetically from the populations in the surrounding regions. This helps us to avoid genetic impoverishment and, in combination with the neighbouring populations, creates a good basis for a healthy population,’ explained Minister Hauk.

Preparation in near-natural game reserves

Since September, ‘Verena’ has been living in an enclosure specially built for the reintroduction of lynx in Thuringia. ‘Here she was prepared for a life in nature and her behaviour was observed. Only lynx that show fear of humans and dogs are suitable for reintroduction. Lynx do not have to learn how to hunt and can rely on their innate instincts in nature,’ said Eva Klebelsberg, who heads the project at the Forest Research Institute of Baden-Württemberg (FVA).

With the support of the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), the Karlsruhe Zoo Conservation Foundation and the state, the Karlsruhe Zoo is currently building its own reintroduction enclosure outside the zoo grounds, which is intended to support reintroduction projects in Baden-Württemberg and throughout Europe in the future.

Reintroduction of lynx makes sense

Since 2004, a total of 18 male lynxes, mainly from Switzerland, have migrated to Baden-Württemberg. Only one female was a guest in the country for a very short period. However, many lynxes only visited Baden-Württemberg temporarily because there were no mating partners available. Lynx are solitary animals and occupy very large territories (territories). Female animals are much more reluctant to search for a new habitat, which is why the nearby lynx population in the Swiss Jura has not managed to make the leap into the Black Forest, which is actually highly suitable. At the moment, with the exception of ‘Verena’, two territorial males are still known to live in Baden-Württemberg. It is extremely unlikely that humans will encounter lynx in the Black Forest. The animals live secretly. They are active at night and at dusk. Their main prey is deer. The development of the future lynx population will therefore take place largely unnoticed by the public.

Hunters support the project

‘The lynx, like the red deer and capercaillie, is a game species with scattered occurrences that require large areas and connections between populations. Such game species urgently need a new strategy to be able to conserve them through connectivity and habitat improvement,’ said Dr Jörg Friedmann, President of the State Hunting Association, adding: ’The hunting community takes responsibility for all species under the Hunting and Wild Animal Management Act in order to meet the requirement of holistic wildlife management. Hunters are the eyes and ears in the forest and support the project with their expertise and local knowledge. The collaboration between the hunting community and the project has been excellent so far.’

The state government, scientific institutions such as the FVA, WWF Germany, Karlsruhe Zoo, the State Hunting Association and the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Initiative are working closely together to support the lynx population and achieve the necessary acceptance in Baden-Württemberg. The project is supported by the Working Group on Lynx and Wolf Baden-Württemberg.

Further statements on the reintroduction

Peter Hauk MdL, Minister for Nutrition, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection: ‘My sincere thanks go to the HIT-Umwelt- und Naturschutzstiftung, which financed the keeping of the lynx in the reintroduction enclosure and its transport to the Northern Black Forest, and to the WWF, which provided significant support for the educational work in the project and the construction of the new enclosure in Karlsruhe.’

Prof. Dr Matthias Reinschmidt, Director of Karlsruhe Zoo: ‘As a zoo, we not only want to enable encounters with endangered species, but also support their conservation in their original habitat. In the future, the lynxes will live in our new enclosure almost without contact with humans in a huge, natural area outside the zoo that is not visible from the outside world, before being released into the wild.’

Prof. Dr Ulrich Schraml, Forest Research Institute (FVA): ‘The reintroduction is the result of years of preparation. The FVA is supporting the return of large predators in Baden-Württemberg through research, monitoring and knowledge transfer. The long-standing constructive cooperation of all relevant stakeholders in the Baden-Württemberg Lynx Working Group has prepared the ground for today's calm discussion about the return of the lynx to the Black Forest.’

Christoph Heider, HIT-Umwelt- und Naturschutzstiftung: ‘As a foundation of a family of entrepreneurs, it is a great pleasure for us to support the lynx project in the Black Forest.’

Dr Sybille Klenzendorf, WWF Germany: ‘More than 180 years ago, the last lynx in Baden-Württemberg was wiped out. Now we can finally celebrate its return. So far, there are only three permanent lynx populations in Germany: in the Palatinate Forest, in the Harz Mountains and in the Bavarian Forest. WWF supports reintroduction projects to promote the networking of populations. Our goal is to connect the individual populations across Europe.’

Verena Schiltenwolf, Luchs-Initiative BW e.V.: ‘The lynx is welcomed in the Black Forest. This is thanks to the well-moderated dialogue between hunters, forest owners, animal owners, and conservationists, but also to the high level of sympathy among the general public. The Lynx Working Group, founded in 2004, has made an important contribution here and has dedicated itself to the topic of large carnivores in Baden-Württemberg for many years and with great persistence.’

Kristina Vogt, Linking Lynx: ‘The selection and preparation of the lynxes was carried out according to strict criteria developed by the Linking Lynx expert network. We are pleased that the two animals have now been released into the wild. Supporting the lynx population in the Black Forest is of great importance for improving the connectivity of lynx populations in Western and Central Europe.’

Background information:

The ‘Lynx Baden-Württemberg – Population Support for Lynx Occurrence in Baden-Württemberg and Neighbouring Regions’ project is a project of the Forest Research Institute of Baden-Württemberg (FVA) in cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg Hunting Association, WWF Germany and the Karlsruhe Zoo.

The project is also supported by the HIT-Umwelt- und Naturschutzstiftung and the Luchsinitiative Baden-Württemberg e.V. The client is the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Württemberg (MLR).

The European Endangered Species Programme for Carpathian lynx is coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).

The project is supported by the Linking Lynx network, which is dedicated to the conservation, monitoring and management of the Carpathian lynx. The long-term goal is to create a viable metapopulation of the Carpathian lynx in Europe, stretching from the Carpathians to the Jura, the Western Alps and the Dinaric Alps.

You can find more information about the lynx and the project on the Baden-Württemberg wildlife portal at: www.wildtierportal-bw.de