Modern history of the Eurasian lynx in the Bohemian Forest
29.9.2016, Carnivores.cz
Nearly half a century ago, Bavarian and Czech conservationists began to contemplate the idea of returning the Eurasian lynx back to the ecosystem of the Bohemian Forest. Amid the discussions surrounding the establishment of national parks on both sides of the national border, a group of expert and amateur conservationists was formed with the aim to promote the return of endangered or locally extinct species including the Eurasian lynx.
Some isolated records of the lynx presence near the Czech-Bavarian border had been known since the mid-20th century but they were extremely rare. From today's perspective, what the group of active conservationists achieved is extraordinary and still largely unrecognised. We can learn about their actions by studying contemporary documents. Let us recall the history of our largest lynx population and at least symbolically thank the people whose efforts allowed the return of this beautiful cat to the forests on the Czech-Bavarian-Austrian border.
Young male lynx is being released near Horská Kvilda in November 1985. Photo: Ivo Svoboda
After the centuries of systematic persecution which led to the disappearance of large carnivores from most European countries, the second half of the 20th century was marked by the change in the perception of these animals and their management. Improved legal protection of lynx, wolves and brown bears together with the changes in landscape use allowed the spontaneous return of large carnivores to some of their former home ranges. In other areas, though, people had to get actively involved to encourage the process. With this aim, the lynx reintroduction projects were carried out in several European countries since the 1970s. In 1970, Bavaria became a pioneer of these efforts, followed by Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, France and the Czech Republic. As many as 80 lynx found their new home in these countries.
They came from the mountains of Slovakia where a stable population still survived. Return of the lynx to the Bohemian Forest and other parts of European nature would not be possible without the participation of Slovakian foresters and hunters who captured the animals to be transferred (at the time, the lynx were legally hunted in Slovakia). Areas where the lynx were captured and the methods used were described by Štefan Zatroch, Slovakian forester and hunter, in his book 33 Years on the Lynx Trail. Capturing the lynx gradually turned into a profitable activity with many more hunters and foresters becoming involved to supply animals for zoos and circuses. The idea of giving the Slovakian lynx a chance for a new life in different parts of European wilderness was first voiced by Ludvík Kunc, a painter and field zoologist at the Ostrava Zoo.
The reintroductions in various places in Europe were to be a starting point. The zoo in Ostrava played the key role as a place of quarantine where the animals were examined by a veterinary. From there the lynx continued to the location of their release. This role was later taken over by other zoos - Košice, Dvůr Králové nad Labem and Bojnice.
Identification marks are being tattooed on the guaranteed animals in Dvůr Králové Zoo.
Photo: Dana Holečková
Secret Bavaria or How (not) to do it?
The first chapter in the return of the lynx to the Bohemian Forest took place in the (newly established) Bavarian Forest National Park and remains clouded in mystery. Piecing the story together requires almost a detective work. It appears that at the time the release of rare carnivore into the wild was not backed up by any existing legislation, which is why many people, including the Bavarian zoologists today, still consider it an illegal action. The literature on the subject generally mentions the years 1970-1973 when between 5 and 9 lynx were allegedly released into the wild in the Bavarian section of the Bohemian Forest. More than 40 years has passed but none of the people still alive who were present during those events would disclose any details: where the lynx came from, what was the ratio of males and females, where and when exactly they were released. The plan was not discussed in advanced with the state conservation authorities or local hunters and foresters. This secretive nature of the project is, according to the German zoologist Ulrich Wotschikowsky, the reason for many conflicts and misunderstandings even today.
The only evidence available regarding the Bavarian reintroduction comes from Ludvík Kunc of the Ostrava Zoo which sent three lynx to Bavaria. These animals were two males and one female captured in the Slovak Beskydy and Slovak Ore Mountains. The first male (Blesk) and the female (Kora) were transferred in October 1970, the second male (Varjak) followed in January 1972. The first pair is believed to have been released on 18th November 1970 somewhere near the mountain Roklan (Großer Rachel in German). When asked, where the other released animals came from and whether any of them might have been raised in zoos, Ulrich Wotschikowsky admitted: "Yes, we have recorded a case of a young lynx that, after the release, stayed near the game park where it was hiding. It seemed that the animal was not accustomed to hunt. That lynx did not survive the first winter; we found its remains in the spring." Unfortunately, no further details are known.
In 1974, several young cubs were observed in the Bavarian Forest. In the following years, the number of lynx was estimated at 12 individuals. They recolonized the area to the northwest of Falkenstein which lies outside of the Bavarian Forest National Park. Apparently, the barbed wire fence at the national border with Czechoslovakia did not present any obstacle for the lynx - on the contrary, the people-free border zone seemed to have offered ideal conditions. Just 9 days after the first pair of lynx were released in Bavaria, one of them was observed near the Annín camping ground west of Sušice. In December of that year, lynx tracks and a killed deer were found near Nuzerovská stráž. The number of sightings was also growing in the area near the national border south of Železná Ruda.
On 11th October 1973, during the investigation of stolen chickens at the farm in Železná Ruda, a lynx cub was captured right in the hen house. Two days later, the cub was returned to the Administration of the Bavarian Forest NP. During the night from 12th to 13th October, a second cub visited the hen house looking for its sibling. As the cub seemed very hungry, it was easy to capture and on 14th October, it too was returned to Bavaria. Photo: Ivo Svoboda
Projekt Lynx - the return of Eurasian lynx to the Bohemian Forest
The secret history of lynx in the Bavarian Forest was followed by the next stage of efforts to return the lynx to the ecosystems of the Bohemian Forest - it was called "Projekt LYNX". This time, the events took place on our side of the mountain range. Among the principal initiators were Eliška Nováková of the Institute of Landscape Ecology (Czechoslovakian Academy of Science), passionate local conservationist Ladislav Vodák, and František Urban and Pavel Trpák as the representatives of the state nature conservation agency. They had learned from the problems of previous reintroduction attempts and prepared the project carefully, discussing their plans with other stakeholders. People involved in the project included the employees of the two state-controlled forestry companies (State Forests and Military Forests), experts from the state nature conservation agency and Protected Landscape Area Šumava. Eliška Nováková was also one of the authors of the expert study "On the possibility of reintroducing the lynx to the Protected Landscape Area Šumava" which provided a scientific framework for the Projekt Lynx. The study was published in the journal Šumava already in 1968, though the reintroduction itself took place much later.
It was not until 1982-1989 that seventeen Slovakian lynx were released in the Bohemian Forest to find their new home in the area around Stožec, in the wild valley of river Křemelná, near the town of Kašperské Hory and villages Kvilda or Horní Vltavice (see the table and map below).
|
|
sex |
name |
captured |
release date |
location |
|
1 |
F |
Rača |
Kysucké Beskydy - Vychylovka |
21/01/1982 |
Stožec |
|
2 |
M |
Bohouš |
Kysucké Beskydy - Vychylovka |
21/01/1982 |
Stožec |
|
3 |
F |
Arabela |
Slovenský kras Rožňava |
07/03/1983 |
Křemelná |
|
4 |
M |
Nikola |
Slovenský kras Borka |
07/03/1983 |
Křemelná |
|
5 |
M |
Hron |
Revúcká vrchovina Dobšiná |
07/03/1983 |
Křemelná |
|
6 |
M |
Goro |
Revúcká vrchovina Dobšiná |
09/10/1984 |
Vysoká Mýť |
|
7 |
M |
Pepík |
Revúcká vrchovina Dobšiná |
09/10/1984 |
Strážný |
|
8 |
F |
MHLL01 |
Kysucké Beskydy - Vychylovka |
07/11/1985 |
Kvilda, Bílý potok |
|
9 |
M |
MHLL02 |
Kysucké Beskydy - Vychylovka |
07/11/1985 |
Kvilda, Bílý potok |
|
10 |
M |
Havel |
Borka |
07/11/1985 |
Kvilda, Bílý potok |
|
11 |
M |
|
Borka |
24/04/1987 |
Stožec |
|
12 |
M |
|
Rožňava |
24/04/1987 |
Horní Vltavice |
|
13 |
F |
|
Borka |
24/04/1987 |
Stožec |
|
14 |
M |
|
Betliar při Rožňave |
24/04/1987 |
Stožec |
|
15 |
F |
|
Betliar při Rožňave |
24/04/1987 |
Horní Vltavice |
|
16 |
M |
Pavel |
|
31/05/1989 |
Horní Kochánov |
|
17 |
F |
Miriam |
|
31/05/1989 |
Horní Kochánov |
Experts assumed that the animals individually released in different remote locations would eventually re-connect thereby establishing a continuous lynx population along the Czech-Bavarian border. This approach turned out to be successful. A source of hope for everyone involved with the project was how quickly the Bavarian lynx spread to our side of the border where their presence was recorded every year.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the project was the involvement of a broad spectrum of people and institutions who advocated the plan on the state and local level and contributed with their work to its implementation. Various interest groups became patrons of individual animals, their representatives opening the doors of transport cages to release "their" lynx into the wild.
On 20th January 1982, the first pair of lynx were put into transport cages in Ostrava Zoo and travelled, with a stop-over for the night, to the place of their release where they were eagerly awaited. Ludvík Kunc from Ostrava Zoo - our foremost lynx expert - was also present. The animals were released at an interval of about half minute. Both appeared calm and soon disappeared in the nearby coppice, followed by the loud clicking of camera shutters. Forest staff and PLA Šumava guards placed meat baits at several locations - these consisted of types of meat the lynx had become used to during their time in the quarantine (rabbit in particular). However, these baits were left intact. Photo: Ludvík Kunc
It is worth noting that the forestry sector leaders took a keen interest in the plan (in the communist Czechoslovakia, all forests were under the management of two state-controlled companies, State Forests and Military Forests) and participated actively in the preparation and implementation of the project. The patronage over the release of three lynx in the valley of river Křemelná was taken by Colonel Skotnica on behalf of the Directorate General of the Military Forests, Mr Povolný on behalf of the West Bohemian State Forests and Mr Mareš, director of Forest Enterprise in Kašperské Hory.
Miriam, the female lynx - the last of released lynx (near Horní Kochánov in 1989) was fitted with the telemetry tracking collar and had the code M-89 tattooed in her ear. To conduct VHF radio telemetry in the border zone during the Iron Curtain era must have been extremely difficult; the results have not yet been processed or published. Photo: Ivo Svoboda
The release of animals was preceded by an extensive awareness campaign highlighting the importance of Eurasian lynx for our forest environment and its protection. The campaign included the publication of instruction sheets "Methods for the monitoring of Eurasian lynx in the Bohemian Forest", educational leaflets and posters "Protecting endangered species of the Bohemian Forest", "Animals of the Bohemian Forest - extinct, critically endangered or threatened", and stickers with the project logo - a lynx cub - designed by Ludvík Kunc. A leporello "Bohemian Forest Cubs" was produced for children who could also take part in a drawing competition. Lectures were organized for the stakeholders, hunting associations in particular. This stage of the project attracted attention at the International Conference on the Possibilities of Eurasian Lynx Return to Central and Western Europe held in Strasbourg in 1978 and became a model for other similar projects.
Present-day assessment of the Bohemian Forest reintroduction projects
When compiling the history of the lynx returning to the Bohemian Forest, we were particularly intrigued by certain aspects which we would like to share here. First, we were astonished by the difficulties we faced when trying to find any information about the events which took place in Bavaria almost half a century ago. We find it hard to believe that none of the people involved kept any old photos or notes which could shed light on some details. Nevertheless, we have hit the impenetrable wall of silence.
On occasions, the search in our country was not easy either. Tracing the relevant documentation in the archives of organizations which directly participated in the project turned out to be the main challenge. Frustratingly often we have heard: "That must have been thrown away when we were moving..." or "There was not enough place..."
Contemporary witnesses and the present-day experts all agree that the lynx reintroduction in the Czech section of the Bohemian Forest was one of the most carefully prepared attempts to return this rare cat into the European wilderness. It was also among the most successful projects of that kind because the lynx managed to recolonize selected area and were soon spreading into the adjacent sections of the Upper Palatine Forest, Novohradské Mountains or Brdy. On the other hand, it is difficult today to assess how successful were the attempts to raise awareness of hunters. The district committees of respective hunting associations were informed of the plans but we could not find any information with regards to how far-reaching was the involvement of individual local hunters. All we know for certain is that the transport cage with the last released lynx (a female fitted with the telemetry tracking collar) was opened by the treasurer of the Hňavkovice hunting association, Václav Klíma.
The working group which achieved the return of lynx to the Bohemian Forest had other plans with the aim to support the presence of threatened species of native animals. Though the Eurasian lynx reintroduction remained their major success, they were involved in other conservation activities - guarding the only known nest of the lesser spotted eagle, building artificial nests for peregrine falcons, hollowing nests for Ural owls and other rare owls, releasing ravens... Other species of interest included brown bear, wolf, stone crayfish, freshwater pearl mussel or wildcat. More on our wildcats perhaps next time...
LUDĚK TOMAN, JOSEFA VOLFOVÁ
This article was prepared with the support of the Czech-German Fund for the Future.
