EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

40 NOMINATION DOSSIER "ANCIENT BEECH FORESTS OF GERMANY"
Lynx (Lynx lynx)
Even highly endangered
predators are returning to
the German beech forests,
which, from a global perspective,
are of outstanding
signifi cance for the preservation
of the European
forest bats.
Wildcat (Felis sylvestris)
in Hainich
Mammals
With civilisation advancing, predators such
as wolf, bear, lynx, and even wildcat have
become very rare. Th e bear has been exterminated
in Germany, but is about to return
here and there. Some 10 years ago, the
wolf returned to East Germany in the Polish
border area. It seems to take hold and
spread. Th e lynx was reintroduced to the
wild also in Germany and has been spreading
from there unaided. Th e wildcat is
once again gaining ground as a result of the
extensive networking projects in some
forest land scapes. Requiring ample habitats,
these predators form viable populations
only in East and South Europe.
In the early days of the postglacial era, large
herbivorous mammals were present in
Central, North, and East Europe in the form
of roe deers, red deers, elks, wild boars,
aurochs, and wisents. While elks prefer to
search swamps and fen woodland for food,
the other animal species were wide spread
in the primordial forest landscape. Th e cattle
species are irrelevant for today’s forests.
Th e aurochs has been exterminated. Wisent
populations have been rescued through
re-breeding, and reintroduction to the wild,
for instance in the Rothaargebirge, is under
consideration.
Alongside with large domestic hoofed game
such as Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Red
Roe (Capreolus capreolus), Wild Boar (Sus
scrofa), the burrow-dwelling species European
Badger (Meles meles) and Red Fox
(Vulpes vulpes), which are found in all component
parts, Hainich and Kellerwald
are home to the rare Wildcat (Felis silvestris).
Th e Lynx (Lynx lynx), which is highly
endangered in Germany, has been detected
nearby Kellerwald and Hainich, which
makes recolonisation probable. Th e Wolf
(Canis lupus), which has returned to
Germany only in one place, at the southeastern
border of Brandenburg and North
Saxonia, was also observed in the proximity
of the nominated property Grumsin in
winter 2008 and spring 2009.
Th ere are 29 bat species in Central Europe.
From a global perspective, the distribution
range of at least fi ve species has a focus in
Europe. Two to four out of these fi ve
European bat species could be observed in
the component parts Serrahn, Grumsin,
Hainich and Kellerwald, respectively.
Th e bat species Myotis bechsteinii, Myotis