Good News from the Black Forest
Verena, a lynx released into the wild, is raising two cubs
Verena, a female lynx released into the wild from Wildnispark Zurich, was captured on camera along with two cubs. And there’s more exciting news from the Black Forest:
A few weeks ago, video footage of Vreni, a female lynx from Wildnispark Zurich released into the wild in Thuringia, along with her cub, made headlines. Now there’s also great news about her twin sister, Verena: The female lynx released into the wild in the northern Black Forest apparently has twins, as camera footage shows. Until now, only one cub was known to exist, confirmed indirectly through genetic analysis of a hair sample.
Unfortunately, the person who reported the sighting did not authorize the video of Verena with her cubs for public use, as they feared the location might be recognized. To protect the animals, this may well be a sensible precaution. The image in this post is therefore of the cub of the lynx Elisabeth, who was also released into the wild in the northern Black Forest. Thanks to Verena and Elisabeth, young lynx were seen in the northern Black Forest again this year for the first time in nearly 200 years. But that’s not all!
First Lynx Offspring in the Southern Black Forest
A female lynx with a cub has now also been spotted in the southern Black Forest. This brings the total number of confirmed cubs in the Black Forest to four.
The sighting in the southern Black Forest marks the first documented reproduction of a wild lynx that migrated independently to the state of Baden-Württemberg. This is rare, as female lynxes generally do not travel long distances when searching for their own territory.
Migrated from Switzerland?
The origin of the lynx in the southern Black Forest has not yet been conclusively determined. However, given the geographical proximity, it is very likely that the animal migrated from Switzerland to Baden-Württemberg. “These sightings demonstrate how important continuous and scientifically sound monitoring is for documenting and evaluating the development of the lynx population in Baden-Württemberg,” says Jens Seeger, a wildlife ecologist at the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute (FVA).
Building a bridge between Swiss and German lynx
The migration of a female Swiss lynx into Germany could mark a very significant development! Genetic exchange between the small and isolated lynx populations in Central Europe is, in fact, vital to their survival. As you may know, although Switzerland has the largest lynx population in Central Europe, it is at high risk of inbreeding and, according to the Kora Foundation and the FIWI at the University of Bern, is in urgent need of genetic renewal. Perhaps this marks the first step towards genetic exchange between the Jura population and that of the Black Forest.
Strengthening and Better Connecting Lynx Populations
Through the active reintroduction of lynx, Baden-Württemberg aims to promote the growth of the lynx population in its forests and connect existing populations in Germany and Central Europe. The long-term goal is to improve genetic exchange between the individual populations and to conserve Europe’s largest cat.
Learn more about all the lynx released into the wild from Wildnispark Zurich.
