Lynx offspring in Eichsfeld

07.02.2024

In January, our camera traps in the Eichsfeld (North-West Thuringia) were able to confirm the presence of a lynx accompanied by at least two cubs. The lynx is a familiar individual we have been regularly monitoring in the region since 2019 through previous projects. She has been assigned the photo ID B1073w. Lynxes can be individually identified based on their fur patterns. For four years now, we have consistently documented B1073w with cubs.

Additionally, another lynx was captured by our camera traps in January in the Eichsfeld: it is a male marked with the code B1019m. We have been monitoring B1019m in the region since 2019 as well. These two lynxes have thus been sharing a territory in the northwestern part of Thuringia for five years already.

In previous years, we occasionally detected other lynxes in the Eichsfeld, presumably mostly males. However, none of these lynxes stayed for an extended period. It appears that B1019m has been successfully defending his territory against competitors thus far. Furthermore, no further colonization of the Eichsfeld has occurred to date.

For the monitoring year 2022/2023 (May 1, 2022 – April 30, 2023), a total of four territorial lynxes have been confirmed in Thuringia. For current information on the lynx population in Thuringia, please refer to the website of the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment.