Since Maundy Thursday, three lynx have been roaming the forests of the Westerzgebirge in the Free State of Saxony. The State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG) in Dresden announced on Friday that a second female, Alva, had been released into the wild in Eibenstock Forest. Like the first named Nova, who first set her paws on Saxon soil ten days ago, she was caught in the Swiss Jura and released into the wild after a three-week quarantine. The three-year-old Alva is said to be in good physical condition and sexually mature. "When the transport crate was opened, she jumped out and quickly disappeared into the cover of a spruce stand," it said.
The trio are to establish a new population in the Ore Mountains as part of the "RELynx Saxony" project. The reintroduction of up to 20 animals is planned by the end of 2027, also to strengthen the sensitive Central European population. The first three already have GPS transmitter collars, which are used to regularly record their whereabouts and movements.
Juno, the male from a wild cat village in Thuringia who, like Ava, was released into the wild on 18 March, is reportedly "still behaving cautiously", exploring his new home hesitantly and making small excursions. The lynx, who was born and raised in an enclosure, still has to learn that he can move around freely and "has to prey on his own".
Nova, on the other hand, is "used to living in freedom as a wild animal". She explores her new home, crosses roads, avoids towns and moves "on quiet paws unnoticed" through the Ore Mountains. She had to conquer a new territory, find good sleeping and hunting grounds and possibly conspecifics.
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