Lynx in Thuringia have offspring again

The Thuringian lynxes are reproducing. For the second time this year, offspring have now been discovered, according to the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND). A wildlife camera recorded a female lynx with cubs near Ilmenau. The mother probably had two cubs.

At the end of July, a female lynx with two cubs had already been photographed by wildlife cameras from the "Lynx Thuringia" project near Sachsenbrunn (Eisfeld). Due to the large distance between the two detections, the experts assume that they are two different mothers.

Origin of the female lynx still unclear

According to BUND, it is still unclear where the female lynx detected near Ilmenau came from. In 2024, two female lynxes were released as part of the reintroduction project in the Thuringian Forest. However, one of the animals, Frieda, is known to be further north. There has been no data on the second animal - Vreni - since her transmitter failed at the end of 2024.

Mother animal may have migrated from Bavaria

"The mother animal can be recognized relatively well on one of the film sequences. At first glance, she doesn't look like Vreni", explained lynx expert Markus Port. We now need standardized images from our own wildlife cameras. "This will allow us to distinguish the lynxes individually based on their fur patterns." It is also possible that the lynx migrated from northern Bavaria. A small lynx population has developed there in recent years and is now growing into the Thuringian Forest.

Thuringian project is part of a European project

The "Lynx Thuringia - Connecting Europe's Lynxes" program aims to make the lynx a long-term resident in Thuringia and to better connect its habitats across Europe. In addition to research and monitoring, the project focuses on education, dialog and environmental education. The project is part of the European Linking Lynx network. The aim is to establish a stable lynx population in Central Europe through targeted reintroductions and the networking of existing populations.

Lynx program also successful in Saxony

There is also a lynx program in the neighbouring Free State of Saxony. There were also offspring there this year. At the end of October, the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology announced that one and a half years after being released into the wild, female lynx Alva appeared in the Eibenstock Forest with two cubs. The trio had fallen into a photo trap.