Baby lynx in the Black Forest causes a sensation

Rastatt (Baden-Württemberg) – The cute little animal is barely bigger than a domestic cat and has already made history: It is the first wild lynx baby to be born in the Black Forest in more than 250 years.

For conservationists, the offspring is a small sensation. Experts from the Forestry Experimental and Research Institute Baden-Württemberg (FVA) were able to get the little big cat into the forests above the Murgtal (Rastatt district). They examined the animal and took genetic samples.

Paternity test planned

Now the search for a father begins in Germany’s highest low mountain range: Using the DNA The experts want to find out which lynx is the father of the little Black Forest.

The little one’s mother predator is called “Elisabeth” and was only released into the wild in the northern Black Forest in September last year. The signals from her transmitter collar finally led the experts to the big one’s hiding place Cat – that’s where they discovered the cub.

The cub already has brush ears

The photos now published show the little lynx during the examination. The black ear brushes typical of the species are already clearly visible. According to the experts, this is Tier healthy and developing well.

The last lynx in Baden-Württemberg was shot in the Swabian Alb in 1846. According to wildlife expert Martin Hauser, the last specimen was shot in the Black Forest in 1770. Since December 2023, lynx have been deliberately released here with the aim of creating a stable population in the wild. According to the ministry, at least eleven of the rare big cats are currently known in Baden-Württemberg.

The proof of the wild lynx baby is a great success for the reintroduction project, says the responsible Baden-Württemberg Agriculture Minister Marion Gentges (54, CDU). Neither the ministry nor the FVA were able to answer the question of whether the baby lynx was a girl or a boy on Monday afternoon.