Fauna - Viorel Lynx explores the southern Thuringian Forest region.
Thuringian lynxes are thriving, according to the latest update from the "Lynx Thuringia. Connecting Europe's Lynxes" project. Frieda, who was born in January 2022 at the BUND Wildcat Village in Hütscheroda, is still close to the release site in the central region of Thuringian Forest. On the other hand, Viorel, a wild-caught lynx from Romania's Carpathians, has been on an extensive journey in the southern Thuringian Forest.
On June 11th, International Lynx Day will be commemorated. In May of this year, Frieda and Viorel were released into the wild in the Thuringian Forest. Frieda was born in captivity, while Viorel was captured in the wild. Both lynxes are fitted with GPS trackers, allowing their movements to be monitored.
The most recent tracking found Viorel in an area to the northwest of Sonneberg. Interestingly, there were already lynxes residing in this region. Camera trap monitoring had detected three lynxes in the border area with Bavaria since autumn 2023.
"We're hopeful that Frieda and Viorel can join this existing population of lynxes in southern Thuringia," remarked project coordinator Markus Port. "Establishing a stable lynx population in the Thuringian Forest is an important step in the long-term success of this project." The plan is to release two more lynxes in the autumn of this year, and by 2027, the population is expected to reach up to 20 lynxes.
At present, lynxes in Thuringia can also be found in the Harz Mountains and northern Eichsfeld. "At this time, there are likely less than ten lynxes living permanently in Thuringia," noted Port. "With the addition of Frieda and Viorel, we're optimistic that the lynx population in Thuringia's forests will continue to grow."
Besides the BUND, other partners like the WWF, the Thuringian Hunting Association, the Georg-August-University Göttingen, and two Romanian partner organizations are collaborating on the project. The Thuringian Ministry of the Environment is providing financial support for this project until 2017, with about 2.9 million euros. Thuringia is contributing a fifth of this budget, with the remaining funds coming from the EU.
"Connecting Europe's Lynxes" is a joint venture between these organizations, working towards creating a larger lynx population in the Thuringian Forest, connecting previously isolated ones in the Harz and Bavarian Forests.
