Lynx from the Langenberg makes headlines
A female lynx from the Langenberg Wildlife Park is to be released into the wild in Germany next autumn. Now it has made headlines ahead of time: The Thalwil fire department had to be called in to help catch it for transportation.
European lynxes living in the wild are threatened by inbreeding. The Wildnispark Zurich is participating in the European conservation breeding program. A female born in 2023 is to be released into the wild in Germany to strengthen the gene pool of the free-ranging population.
An incident occurred on Tuesday evening during preparations for the transport to Germany. Until a few days ago, the animal had been living in a part of the lynx enclosure where animals are specifically prepared for life in the wild. In order to bring it to Germany, it was temporarily moved to the old cat enclosure at Langenberg Wildlife Park. Around midday, the female lynx escaped from this enclosure and climbed a nearby tree.
The management of the Wildnispark Zürich then decided to call out the fire department to rescue the female lynx using the fire ladder. The animal was anaesthetised and could be safely removed from the tree. A vet was also on site and examined the female lynx – she is doing well.
Today, Wednesday, it will be transported to Thüringen as planned, where it will be kept in a so-called coordination enclosure over the coming months in preparation for its release into the wild in the fall.
The animal and the situation were always under control. The female lynx was under observation the whole time and in a part of the enclosure that was not accessible to visitors.
