Most likely to seek his fortune in the country from which the two-year-old animal may have once immigrated.
April 16, 2026, 1:28 p.mApril 16, 2026, 1:28 p.m
The FVA sees Juro’s Rhine crossing as an important indication of how crucial the connectivity of habitats is for the lynx. “It is entirely possible for wild animals to cross a body of water by swimming, and the use of bridges is also conceivable,” said lynx expert Eva Klebelsberg. “For us, this is still a small sensation because for the first time we can observe and analyze this movement using the data provided by a collar transmitter.”
A lynx crossed the Rhine in Germany.Image: imago images
“Juro” has so far been traveling in the southern Black Forest
Juro was first detected and radioed through a crack near Schopfheim in Baden-Württemberg at the end of August 2025. Since then it has roamed through an area of 780 square kilometers between Kandern and Wehr and has been considered territorial, i.e. sedentary, in the southern Black Forest since the end of February. According to the FVA, when the mating season began at the beginning of February, Juro repeatedly made his way to the Swiss border.
According to the FVA, it remains to be seen whether the lynx will find a territory and a female in Switzerland or return to the southern Black Forest. There is a close exchange with the KORA Foundation, which coordinates Swiss lynx monitoring, and with the cantons concerned.
Too many males: females are released into the wild
Until recently there were only sedentary male lynxes in Baden-Württemberg. In order to improve the situation of lynx in the country and thus also in the neighboring areas, individual lynx, including female lynx, have been released into the wild in the Black Forest since 2023 as part of the “Luchs Baden-Württemberg” project.
The exchange between the Swiss and Baden-Württemberg lynx populations is also important for a stable lynx population in the border triangle. “Juro therefore also provides us with clues as to which corridors need to be preserved in order to enable the lynx to migrate,” said lynx expert Klebelsberg. (dab/sda/dpa)