Lynx Anton released into the wild in the Westerzgebirge

The Saxon lynx population is one specimen richer. The reintroduction program for the endangered carnivore was successfully completed this year with the release of a Kuder named Anton. There are now two cats and three Kuder living in the western Ore Mountains near the German-Czech border. In the coming year, five or six more animals are expected to stabilize the population. Saxony is relying on wild-caught and bred animals from zoos. The aim is to reintroduce 20 animals by 2027.

The new "Saxony" lynx was christened Anton by Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens). The minister took the opportunity to personally release him from a transport box into the wild. Anton comes from a Belgian zoo, is one and a half years old and weighed 17.3 kilograms when he was given a GPS collar in the wild cat village of Hütscheroda (Thuringia) this morning. He had been prepared for release into the wild there for several weeks - with little human contact and only wild meat as food. He was only seen for a few seconds during his run to freedom. Anton sprinted out of the transport box and disappeared into the thicket.