Translocation Update

Communication Lynx Thuringia, 07.03.2025:

The female lynx Nova is one of five lynx that have been released into the wild in the Westerzgebirge as part of the ReLynx Saxony project. Nova is a lynx from the Swiss Jura Mpuntains and is estimated to be between 4 and 7 years old. Since her release in March 2024, she had established a territory in the Eibenstock Forest in Saxony. But then, surprisingly, she covered a distance of over 150 km and migrated to Thuringia at the end of December 2024. The lynx's migration and whereabouts can be easily tracked using the data from her transmitter collar. She is now in the Jena area.

Usually female lynx in particular have a rather conservative dispersal behavior and find it difficult to cross habitat barriers. The dangers on such dispersals are great and many lynx die during migration. However, Nova shows that even females are able to make such long dispersals and cross several highways. From the point of view of genetic diversity, such dispersals are important.

Whether Nova will settle in the Jena area in the long term or whether this is only a temporary territory (a stopover) remains to be seen. The ReLynx Saxony and Lynx Thuringia projects operate at the level of the respective federal states, but they have the common goal of a cross-border, networked lynx population. Nova is already showing that such a network is possible at an early stage of the two projects.