Bavaria's first lynx sanctuary completed
Bavaria's first lynx sanctuary has been set up in the Bavarian Forest National Park. Injured and orphaned animals from the wild can be cared for there, says Marco Heurich, Head of the National Park Monitoring and Outdoor Animal Area Department. The facility, which was financed by the Ministry of the Environment, has been ready for occupancy since October, but no lynx has yet moved in.
According to the national park administration, there have been four to five lynx orphans in the Bavarian Forest alone in recent years. Until now, lynxes in need of help had to be taken to a sanctuary in Lower Saxony.
The new station in the national park consists of two large animal boxes and an outdoor enclosure for the animals. Because the wild animals are to be released back into the wild after successful care, it is important that they have as little contact with humans as possible. This is guaranteed at the sanctuary, says Heurich.
The animals cared for at the sanctuary could play an important role in nature, said Heurich. For example, in the establishment of so-called stepping stone populations. These are small groups of animals that are established between large populations in order to better connect the large populations with each other.
Heurich cites a lynx population in the Bohemian Forest and another in the Harz Mountains/North Hesse as examples. These have no connection with each other. Over time, this would lead to inbreeding effects and a loss of genetic variability. Stepping stone populations are therefore currently being established in the Thuringian Forest and Steinwald in order to enable the exchange of individuals and thus genetic information.
The lynx is the largest cat living in Europe. Together with the wolf and the bear, it is one of the three large predators. In Germany, the animal is a specially protected species.
Animals in need of care due to injuries or being orphans in Lower Bavaria now have a dedicated sanctuary within the Bavarian Forest National Park. Previously, these animals were transported to a sanctuary in Lower Saxony for treatment.
Nature conservation efforts in Lower Bavaria have been boosted with the establishment of this lynx sanctuary, as it plays a crucial role in supporting the creation of stepping stone populations, which help maintain genetic variability among isolated lynx populations.
Source: www.dpa.com
