They are strictly protected and only rarely roam the forests: lynxes. There are about 130 of these big cats with brush ears in Germany. With a new enclosure, lynxes are to be actively settled in Thuringia in the future.
Hütscheroda (dpa/th) - In the wildcat village of Hütscheroda (Wartburg district), a new lynx enclosure designed specifically for young animals is being built. In the future, captive-born lynxes will be raised there on an area of more than 3,500 square meters under conditions that are as natural as possible and without contact with humans before they are then released into the wild. The enclosure in the wildcat village of the BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz) will be ready for occupancy next spring, according to a statement by the Ministry of the Environment on Friday on the occasion of Lynx Day on June 11th.
A pair of lynxes is currently living in a show enclosure in Hütscheroda. Its offspring as well as young animals from other areas are to be kept in the new enclosure on a transitional basis. The wildcat village wants to become part of a network of zoos and wildlife enclosures that has committed itself to breeding suitable lynxes for outdoor projects. According to the information, around 130 of the rare and strictly protected big cats with the brush ears live in Germany. Less than ten of them roam the Thuringian forests.
Once widespread, lynxes are now only found in three isolated distribution areas in Germany: the Harz Mountains, the Bavarian Forest and the Palatinate Forest. There is currently no exchange of animals between these populations.
With their new project, BUND Thüringen, Wildland Hainich gGmbH and WWF Germany (World Wildlife Fund) want to create a connection between these populations again. It is funded by the Free State with 677,000 euros. In addition to the new enclosure, the camera traps for recording the animals are also to be expanded.
The aim is to actively settle more lynxes in the Thuringian Forest in the future, it said. A computer simulation proves that the natural resettlement of habitats such as the Thuringian Forest is unlikely even in 25 years without active support.
