First lynxes released into the wild in the Ore Mountains

Two lynxes have been released into the wild in the western Ore Mountains. On Monday, Nova and Juno were the first two of around 20 animals to be released in the Ore Mountains and Elbe Sandstone Mountains by 2027 as part of the "Relynx Saxony" project, as announced by the Ministry of the Environment on Tuesday. "Around three hundred years after their extinction in Saxony, we are bringing the lynx back. This is a major milestone in our fight to protect species and preserve biodiversity," said Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens).

The reintroductions reportedly went well and without any disruptions. The two-year-old Juno, a so-called Kuder (male lynx), who was bred in the "wild cat village of Hütscheroda" in Thuringia, slowly left his transport box and looked around before disappearing into the forest. Female Nova, captured in the Swiss Jura and three to six years old, on the other hand, jumped out immediately and quickly made her way across a forest aisle. Both animals are capable of reproducing.

The aim of the project is to reintroduce the Carpathian lynx to Saxony in order to strengthen the Central European population. In the medium term, the Saxon population should act as a link between the natural populations in the Carpathians and the previously isolated populations in the Bohemian Forest, north-eastern Bavaria and the Harz Mountains. The project was launched in September 2022, with total costs reportedly amounting to around 1.8 million euros.