Female lynx Freya released into the wild in the Westerzgebirge

Saxony has released another lynx into the wild within 24 hours. The male Charlie was followed on Tuesday by the female Freya, as announced by the State Office for Environment, Geology and Agriculture.

The one-year-old animal was born in the Zurich Wilderness Park in a special breeding enclosure of the conservation program for the Carpathian lynx. Freya spent the last few months in an enclosure in the wild cat village of Hütscheroda in Thuringia, where she was specifically prepared for a life in the wild.

"Pronounced shyness towards humans"

Freya successfully passed the behavioral tests developed by experts, it was said. She shows "a pronounced shyness towards humans" and has learned to eat whole prey animals in the enclosure. "This is an important step for her independence in the wild," it said. Freya is intended to stabilize the still small lynx population in the Westerzgebirge. So far, seven lynx have been released into the wild and at least four currently live in the region.

With these two animals, the reintroductions for 2025 have been completed, the state office announced. This is planned for two to a maximum of three animals in 2026.

Environment Minister Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch (CDU) announced on Monday that Saxony would be extending its lynx program. The planned 20 lynx are not to be released into the wild by the end of 2027, but by 2032.