LIFE Luchs Pfälzerwald

Reintroduction of lynxes in the Palatinate Forest Biosphere Reserve

LIFE Luchs Pfälzerwald established a population of Eurasian lynx in the Palatinate Forest in southwest Germany three centuries after this species disappeared from the area. Twenty lynx from Switzerland and Slovakia were introduced into the forest and monitored to ensure successful integration into their new habitat. The original population has bred, with at least eighteen cubs born during the project, helping the species thrive. Work to inform and bring on board local stakeholders has helped to increase awareness of the value to the local economy of the lynx’s reintroduction.

Coordinator
Stiftung Natur und Umwelt Rheinland-Pfalz
Countries
Germany, close collaboration with France, Slovakia and Switzerland