Wildbrücke News #10 (2025) – Hamsters, Wildcats, Elks & Birds of Europe

Die Zeitung über
Wildtiere
NEWS
issue
#10
Verlauf: [@tenate-arte] via Canva / Sprachen Illustration: iStock/VectorStory / Foto: istock/JMrocek
Impressum: Wildbrücke Medien | Stephan Jonetzko | Kronberger Str. 5 | 65510 Idstein | Webseite: www.wildbruecke.de | Feedback: info@wildbruecke.de

European species conservation project launches in Saxony
Wildlife in Germany
Symbolbild: iStock/Simon Vasut
The new EU-funded project „LIFE4Hamster-
Saxony“ has officially launched in Saxony. The
six-year program aims to preserve and strengthen
the last remaining European hamster
population in the Free State. As announced by
the Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate
Protection, Environment and Agriculture, the
project is being supported by the European
Union with a total of €12.2 million. It is a collaboration
between the Saxon State Office for Environment,
Agriculture and Geology (LfULG),
Leipzig Zoo, and the district of North Saxony.
At the project‘s launch, LfULG President
Heinz Bernd Bettig explained that the goal
is to stabilize and promote the population
in its last remaining habitat. Together with
farms in Northwest Saxony, measures will
be implemented to enable hamster-friendly
farming practices – for example, by cultivating
suitable crops or creating wildflower strips.
Leipzig Zoo also plays a central role. Director
Prof. Jörg Junhold emphasized that the zoo is
proud to be part of the European species conservation
strategy. The breeding successes of recent
years – 226 young animals in 2024 and already
256 in 2025 – represent an important contribution
to establishing a self-sustaining European
hamster population in Central Germany.
In the district of North Saxony, the project is
already showing initial success. Environmental
Officer Dr. Eckhard Rexroth explained that the
European hamster is a characteristic species
of the Delitzsch Plain and should now become
permanently established in the region. In May
2025, 179 European hamsters were released
southwest of Delitzsch. Together with the offspring
from the previous year, the population
may already have grown to around 300 animals.
Further releases are planned for the coming
years. The Saxon State Office for Environment,
Agriculture and Geology (LfULG)
and the district are preparing contracts with
farmers to provide additional land. By spring
2026, 80 hectares of arable land are to be
managed in a way that is conducive to European
hamsters – with special strips of grain,
alfalfa, and wildflowers. By the end of 2031,
the area covered by the conservation measures
is expected to expand to up to 400 hectares.
A total of €7.2 million will be invested in the
agricultural landscape, with an additional
€5 million allocated to breeding, reintroduction,
and scientific monitoring by Leipzig Zoo.
The project application was submitted to the
EU in 2024 and is based on the „Cooperative
Field Hamster Conservation in the Free State
of Saxony“ initiative, founded in 2008, which
had developed its own conservation strategy.
The project officially launched with the signing
of the funding agreement in June 2025. The
European Union is covering 75 percent of the
project costs, with the remaining 25 percent
being borne by the partners themselves.
With „LIFE4HamsterSaxony,“ Saxony is sen-
ding a clear signal for European species vation – and for the
conser-
preservation of one of
the most characteristic
species of the agricultural
landscape.
Quelle: Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Energie, Klimaschutz, Umwelt und
Landwirtschaft – „EU unterstützt Kooperation von LfULG, Zoo Leipzig und
Landkreis Nordsachsen zum Erhalt der sächsischen Feldhamster“, veröffentlicht
auf www.medienservice.sachsen.de
(abgerufen am 27. Oktober 2025)

Dangerous fences for wildcats – Hidden danger for wildlife
Wildlife in Germany
Symbolbild: iStock/JMrocek
The German Federation for the Environment
and Nature Conservation (BUND) warns in a
recent statement of the increasing danger that
non-wildlife-proof fences pose to numerous
native species. The European wildcat, a strictly
protected species that has re-established itself in
Germany in recent years, is particularly affected.
As BUND reports, wildcats can easily become
entangled or seriously injured when attempting
to climb over fences. Fences with small mesh sizes
or barbed wire, often erected to protect properties,
fields, or roads, are especially dangerous.
Young animals frequently become trapped in
these barriers – often with fatal consequences.
The environmental organization emphasizes
that other species, such as hedgehogs,
amphibians, and reptiles, are also affected
by this problem. „What constitutes a secure
boundary for humans can become a deadly
trap for wild animals,“ the statement reads.
BUND is therefore calling for existing fences
to be reviewed for their wildlife-friendliness
and for new construction projects to
be designed with greater consideration for
maintaining the permeability of the landscape.
Furthermore, the association urges attention
to maintaining open structures amidst
increasing urban sprawl and the fencing
of landscapes. New housing developments,
roads, and industrial areas are fragmenting
more and more habitats, making it
more difficult for migratory species like the
European wildcat to access suitable territories.
The BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany)
calls on citizens to make a contribution on their
own property with simple measures – such
as larger mesh sizes, clearing areas of soil, or
refraining from using barbed wire. According
to the association, small adjustments can make
a crucial contribution to protecting wildlife.
With its nationwide campaign „Wildcat Rescue
Network,“ the BUND has been working for
years to preserve and
connect habitats. The
goal is to permanently
stabilize wildcat
populations and reconnect
their habitats.
Quellen:
Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) – Pressemitteilung
„Gefährliche Zäune für Wildkatzen – BUND macht auf versteckte Gefahr für
Wildtiere aufmerksam“, veröffentlicht am 7. Oktober 2025, abgerufen am 31.
Oktober 2025 8:52 Uhr.
https://www.presseportal.de/pm/7666/6132526

Emil the moose has become at home in the Bohemian Forest
Wildlife in Europe
Symbolfoto: iStock/Photosbypatrik
Emil, the young moose who wandered
through Austria this summer and attracted
considerable attention, has apparently found
a new home in the Bohemian Forest (Šumava)
in the Czech Republic. As the Austrian
newspaper derStandard reports, the animal
has successfully settled in a protected area
near the border with Bavaria and Austria.
According to the report, Emil was first sighted
in Upper Austria in August. After several
weeks during which he repeatedly appeared
near roads and villages, he was tranquilized for
safety reasons and taken to the border region of
the Bohemian Forest. There, he was fitted with
a GPS transmitter to monitor his movements.
As derStandard writes, current data shows that
Emil has not undertaken any major migrations
in recent weeks. He is staying in a forested area
where several other moose already live. The area
lies within the Šumava National Park in the
Czech Republic, which covers approximately
68,000 hectares and is one of the most important
refuges for large wild animals in Central Europe.
According to Czech wildlife researchers,
Emil is now considered „established,“ meaning
he has found a stable territory. Authorities
hope he will eventually join other
moose from the region and contribute to
the long-term reintroduction of the species.
Moose were long absent from Central Europe.
Only in recent years have animals
migrated from Poland and the Czech
Republic back into Germany and Austria.
Emil‘s story thus exemplifies the return of
large wild animals to their former habitats—
and the challenges such a return entails.
derStandard.de – „Elch Emil im tschechischen Böhmerwald heimisch geworden“,
veröffentlicht am 27. Oktober 2025, abgerufen am 01. Oktober 2025
14:27 Uhr.
https://www.derstandard.de/story/3000000294083/elch-emil-im-tschechischen-boehmerwald-heimisch-geworden

Wildlife in the World
The Alpine chough – an acrobat of the skies in the high mountains
Symbolfoto: iStock/Fug4s
The Alpine chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus)
is one of the most striking bird species in the
Alps. With its glossy black plumage, bright
yellow beak, and red legs, it is a familiar sight in
high alpine regions. It often appears in groups
around mountain huts or ski resorts – curious,
agile, and surprisingly tame around people.
As we report on wildbruecke.de, the Alpine
chough is a true survivor of the mountains.
It lives year-round at altitudes of up to 4,000
meters, braving wind, snow, and cold. Even
in winter, it rarely leaves the mountains,
instead using its intelligence to find hidden
food sources. The omnivorous birds‘
diet consists of insects, seeds, berries, and
occasionally leftover food from tourists.
These birds are extremely sociable and usually
fly in small flocks. Their elegant flight maneuvers
perfectly utilize the updrafts of the
mountains. Alpine choughs live in permanent
pair bonds and return to the same rocky
niches year after year to breed. The call of the
alpine chough – a bright, whistling „tschrrip“
– echoes far and wide through the mountains.
In Germany, the species is primarily found in
the Bavarian Alps, especially around Berchtesgaden,
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the
Zugspitze region. There, it benefits from open
rocky landscapes, but also from human presence,
such as at viewpoints and mountain huts.
As explained on wildbruecke.de, the alpine
chough is considered a symbol of freedom
and wilderness. Its behavior demonstrates
how adaptable wild animals can be in extreme
habitats – and how closely humans
and nature are connected in the mountains.
Anyone wanting to learn more about this fascinating
bird can find a free fact sheet on the
alpine chough in the download section of our
website – ideal for nature enthusiasts, teachers,
or simply for discovery. There you can find
over 100 free wildlife fact sheets that vividly
convey knowledge
about Germany‘s and
Europe‘s wildlife.

The oystercatcher – a loud coastal bird with a powerful beak
Wildlife in the World
Symbolfoto: iStock/Philippe Clement
The Eurasian oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus)
is one of the most recognizable birds
on Germany‘s coasts. With its black and white
plumage, bright red legs, and long, orange beak,
it is easily identifiable along the North and
Baltic Seas. Despite its name, the oystercatcher
rarely eats oysters – its powerful beak is primarily
used to skillfully open mussels, worms,
and snails, or to probe them from the seabed.
As we report on wildbruecke.de, the oystercatcher
is widespread, especially along
the North Sea coast and on the islands of
Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. It
finds ideal breeding and foraging conditions
in the salt marshes, mudflats, and sandy
beaches. Its loud calls, a penetrating „kliip“
that echoes across the coast, are typical – an
unmistakable sound of the Wadden Sea.
The oystercatcher is a sociable and territorial
bird. During the breeding season, the parents
vigorously defend their nests against intruders,
often together with other pairs in small colonies.
Both parents participate in incubating the eggs
and raising the chicks. The young are precocial
– they leave the nest shortly after hatching and
are led by their parents for the first few weeks.
This species is native to Northern Europe
and is protected in Germany. However, it too
is increasingly suffering from the effects of
human influence: coastal erosion, tourism
pressure, and climate change are altering its
habitats and shifting its breeding seasons. The
Eurasian Oystercatcher is therefore considered
a symbolic bird for the protection of the North
Sea coast and the sensitive tidal flat ecosystems.
Anyone wanting to learn more about this striking
coastal bird can find a detailed, free fact
sheet on our website wildbruecke.de. The download
contains all the important information
about its appearance, behavior, breeding habits,
and conservation status – ideal for teaching,
birdwatching, or simply for marveling at the diversity
of our wildlife.