Youngsters at the Foxes in Südharz

Burglars - Youngsters at the Foxes in Südharz

First discovery of young litters this year in the Luchs in Nordthuringia: A photo trap in Sudharz has provided clear evidence of two young ear tufts, which were with their mother, the Thuringian Environment Ministry in Erfurt reported. The camera is managed by the ministry and is part of the extensive observation of the rare lynxes, which are supposed to become native to Thuringia again.

According to ministry information, lynxes have been living in the Harz since the year 2000. The mother with the two young ones was taken in the three-way border area with Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Tips on newborn lynxes are given every year through intensive monitoring. However, it is not yet proven how many of them manage to grow up and care for offspring.

Maximum ten lynxes in Thuringia

The lynxes in Sudharz have been known in the region since 2016 and give birth to offspring annually. According to the ministry, lynxes can be identified uniquely by the fur pattern of their front leg sides. The pattern works like a fingerprint.

In Thuringia, there is a rescue station also for lynxes in the Wildcat Village Huetscheroda. Increasingly, efforts are being made to reintroduce or acclimate the rare animals in freedom. In this year, two lynx cubs had been released into the wild in the Thuringian Forest. They are the first animals that have been released within a large project for the reintroduction of the strictly protected cat species into freedom. One of the lynxes came from the Wildcat Village Huetscheroda, the other from Romania.

In Germany, according to estimates by BUND, around 200 lynxes live. Of about five to ten lynxes that live permanently in Thuringia, BUND Thuringia and WWF estimate.

1. The lynx sightings in Erfurt's nearby North Thuringia region have been regularly reported to the BMU for nature protection.
2. A local photographers' association in Nordhausen has set up a photo booth, hoping to capture a rare photo of a seal resting in the local river.
3. In recent years, the Bobcat has also made its home in the densely forested areas of Thuringia, adding to the diversity of wildlife in the region.
4. Last year, a mother Lynx was spotted near Erfurt with her cubs, making Erfurt a buzzing hub for wildlife enthusiasts in Thuringia.
5. The Thuringia government plans to invest in more wildlife cameras across the state to monitor and protect various species, including the elusive Lynx.
6. While hiking in the Thuringian Forest, a mother and her baby Lynx were spotted playing in the meadow, proving that nature protection efforts in Thuringia are bearing fruit.

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