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Luchs Baron tragically hit by a train – loss for Thuringia!
The young lynx "Baron" died tragically while trying to cross the tracks between Meiningen and Themar.
Luchs Baron tragically hit by a train – loss for Thuringia!
The lynx population in the Thuringian Forest has experienced both sad and happy news in recent weeks. A central theme is the tragic loss of the young lynx “Baron”. The one-year-old lynx was found lifeless next to the railway tracks between Meiningen and Themar. GPS data shows that he was hit by a train while crossing the tracks. He died in the adjacent woods. Baron, who was previously fostered in the Worbis bear park, was recently able to enjoy his new freedom. Because of his moving story, he became dear to many people in the region. Markus Port, project manager at BUND Thuringia, deeply regrets the loss, but emphasizes that the number of male animals is sufficiently high for future population development in the Thuringian Forest. The entire project team therefore sees no negative impact on the continued existence of the lynx in the region.
But not only Baron was part of the lynx project in Thuringia. The lynx Carlo was successfully released into the wild on August 29, 2025. He comes from the Karlsruhe Zoo and grew up in a natural enclosure where he had no direct contact with people. After his arrival in Thuringia, Carlo spent some time in the release enclosure to get used to the new environment. Now he roams freely through the Thuringian Forest and joins his fellow lynxes: Frieda, Viorel, Vreni, Kilian and Ionel - a total of six lynxes that have been released into the wild in the last few months. Carlo will be monitored via GPS transmitter for a year to collect data about his space use and behavior.
Importance of the Lynx Project
The “Luchs Thuringia – Connecting Europe's Lynxes” project aims to release up to 20 lynxes into the Thuringian Forest between 2024 and 2027. This measure is crucial because the lynx only occurs in three isolated areas in Germany: the Palatinate Forest, the Harz Mountains and eastern Bavaria. Spatial isolation and inbreeding represent a serious threat to the population. Thuringia therefore plays a key role in connecting lynx populations. Thanks to a high level of social acceptance of 87 percent for the return of lynx to the region, the measures can be supported in the long term.
In August 2025, Carlo, now the sixth lynx in the project, was released into the wild near Oberhof. The project is funded with more than 2.8 million euros by the Thuringian Ministry of the Environment and uses innovative methods such as GPS collars and camera trap-based monitoring to observe the life of lynxes in the wild and document their adaptation.
Together with the sad news about Baron, hope for a sustainable and healthy lynx population in the Thuringian Forest remains. We can't wait to see how the released lynxes, including Carlo, will develop in their new home.
For more information about the project and the lynxes in Thuringia, here are useful links: