European wildcat returns to the Vogtland

The European wildcat has returned to the Vogtland region. According to the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) Saxony, recent monitoring has revealed the presence of animals for the first time in years - including a female.

The animals were long thought to be extinct in Saxony. They were first detected in the Vogtland region in 2009, but monitoring there has been unsuccessful in recent years. This spring, BUND deployed new lure sticks along the border with Thuringia as part of the "Wildcat Forests of Tomorrow" project. Based on genetic analyses of hair samples, two individuals have now been confirmed.

Why the female is particularly important

"The detection of the female is particularly pleasing. Female wildcats have high demands on their habitat, as they are solely responsible for rearing their young and need plenty of hiding places to do so," said project manager Almut Gaisbauer. Whether a stable population has already established itself is still unclear.

The head of the Plauen forest district, Bert Schmieder, spoke of an "extremely pleasing signal and at the same time a confirmation of our measures and support for near-natural forest conversion".

Forest paths for the wilderness of tomorrow

In order to enable the animals to spread in the long term, BUND Saxony and BUND Thuringia organized a dialogue forum with representatives of various interest groups in Plauen on Monday. A feasibility analysis for migration corridors is now to be drawn up on this basis.