Translocation

Press release from the State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, Saxony, Germany, 1 September 2025:

On Monday, 1 September 2025, the sixth lynx was released into the wild as part of the ‘RELynx Saxony’ project in the Eibenstock/Westerzgebirge forest district. According to the Saxony State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology, the lynx is a 13-month-old male named Charlie.

The transport and release went smoothly. Charlie is the first lynx to be released into the wild as part of a revised strategy for the RELynx Saxony project. Environment Minister Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch said, "We cannot view species conservation in isolation, but must always consider it in balance with other interests in the surrounding area.

The original RELynx Saxony project was too ambitious in terms of local acceptance and finances. With the revised release strategy, we are better able to meet this requirement: we are extending the project over time, saving money and still ensuring species protection for the lynx. Pragmatic, simple and effective. That is my understanding of accepted species protection that is thought out in an integrated way."

Reintroduction strategy to be adjusted
In order to achieve a successful balance between local acceptance, the technical requirements of species conservation, the use of resources and the protection of the lynx required under EU law, new key points for the reintroduction programme have been defined. On the one hand, the project will be extended in terms of time. Instead of releasing around five animals per year until the end of 2027, only two to three lynxes will be released annually until 2030/2031. The upper limit is 20 individuals in total. This will prevent the region from being overwhelmed and, at the same time, allow the stepping stone population to grow slowly in accordance with scientific criteria. Secondly, the project will be limited to a specific region. Reintroduction will only take place in state-owned forest areas in Eibenstock and the surrounding area. Active settlement in the Eastern Ore Mountains and other regions of Saxony will no longer be pursued. The settlement of other areas will therefore be left to its natural course, will not be artificially forced and will be closely monitored at the same time.

There will also be changes in project coordination. The existing contract with the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, represented by the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Görlitz, expires at the end of 2027 and will not be renewed beyond this date in order to save state funds. The same applies, for example, to regional public relations and networking measures, which will be limited to 2026. From this point onwards, it is planned to secure funding through third-party funds. The change in the reintroduction strategy will result in savings of approximately 25 per cent compared to the original project calculation. This corresponds to more than 225,000 euros.

From Karlsruhe to Eibenstock: Charlie the male lynx
The male lynx Charlie comes from the breeding programme at Karlsruhe Zoo. He was born there in July 2024 and then prepared for release into the wild in a coordination enclosure adjacent to the zoo, away from humans. Karlsruhe Zoo focuses on species conservation and contributes to rebuilding the lynx population in Germany through targeted breeding. For context: lynxes in enclosures that are intended for release into the wild are bred specifically in a cross-zoo project run by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). The ‘Linking Lynx’ network of experts coordinates the distribution of lynxes in enclosures to the various release projects, taking into account suitability, gender and genetics.

Behavioural tests showed that the male lynx meets the requirements for life in the wild: he is shy, avoids humans and does not react to dogs. Charlie also passed all health checks and contributes valuable genes to the lynx population currently being established. In the extensive forests of the Western Ore Mountains, the male lynx is to join the still small population of two resident lynxes, Alva and Chapo, in the Eibenstock forest district. Charlie wears a collar transmitter to monitor his activities. The coming months will show how Charlie explores his new habitat and whether he settles down.

Technical background to ‘RElynx Saxony’
‘RELynx Saxony’ is part of a Germany-wide strategy. With the reintroduction of lynx into the Ore Mountains, the Free State of Saxony is helping to ensure that lynx can permanently repopulate their original habitats in Germany. The animals released in Saxony have a special task: they are to contribute to the networking of the still vulnerable Central European lynx population and, in the long term, ensure genetic exchange, especially between the Harz Mountains, Bavaria and Eastern Europe. Releases of Carpathian lynxes are currently taking place in projects in Saxony, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg.