Rare Wildlife Returns: Lynx, Mink & Endangered Species Back from Extinction in Europe

Diverse. What life was like all over the planet. But less and less space remains for its wild inhabitants. Many have disappeared. Others only survived in captivity. Finally, we are beginning to understand how important biodiversity is for our own future. In some parts of Germany, species that were once lost are now getting a second chance. For those who hope to win back their old ranges, it will be a long and dangerous road. Will they manage to find their place in the natural world again? These are their stories. Wherever humans spread out, predators are first to be targeted. Ever since we began to raise livestock, lynxes and wolves became feared enemies. Eerie stories of brutal beasts, unafraid of humans, were told and embellished. These monsters were bitterly persecuted. Today, the Eurasian lynx is among the most threatened species in the world. They have only survived in the most remote areas. The Carpathian Mountains are one of these regions. The mountain range in Eastern Europe became a refuge for the hunted. Into this wilderness, a male lynx is born. It will later be named Lucky. One day, he finds himself caught in a trap. What Lucky does not know, this is the start of something big. The Palatinate Forest, over 1,000 kilometers away, has not had any lynxes for a very long time. This is about to change. Two females accompany him on his trip. Kaya and Luna also originate in the Carpathians. First, it's time for a general check-up. Kaya is the first to receive her transmitter collar. Then it's Lucky's turn. The dart numbs his senses and relaxes muscles. The GPS collar will allow Lucky's observers to keep tabs on where he is and how he is doing in his new home. About 1,000 kilometers further west, a European pond turtle is being released. Unlike Lucky, she has never experienced life in the wild. She discovers a completely new world. The five-year-old female hatched and grew up in a breeding station. Until she was large enough not to be eaten by fish and birds. There, she was designated as number eight. As one of over 500 pond turtles, number eight must regain a hold in the Rhine River's floodplain. The prehistoric reptiles were wiped out in Germany around 200 years ago, save for a few remnant populations. A variety of factors contributed to their disappearance. They were caught for food and their habitats were destroyed. The European pond turtle can reach the age of 100 years and is considered an indicator species. Where this species occurs naturally, the ecological balance is generally considered to be largely intact and healthy. Before number eight, a few other turtles were released here. They seem to have settled in well. As agile as pond turtles may be in the water, healthy fish are just a little too quick for them. Number eight chooses a different, more promising strategy. She devours a dead fish. As a scavenger, the turtle helps to keep the wetland healthy. But the future of the species can only be secure if the animals reproduce. And only when the currently isolated populations unite will they be able to gradually settle along the entire Rhine ecosystem. Further west, the Palatinate Forest. It is Germany's largest contiguous forest. In the southwest, it merges into the French Vosges. Roe deer have been without predators here in this area for a long time. This is about to change. With its rocky landscape, the Palatinate Forest offers the perfect habitat for lynxes. The three cats from the Carpathians have finally arrived at their destination. It is hoped that they, together with 17 more that will follow, will form the nucleus of a stable lynx population in Western Europe one day. Lucky will be the first Eurasian lynx to roam this forest in over 200 years. Now it remains to be seen whether it can become a new home for him and his two companions. It is unclear if the three cats will ever meet again. Thanks to the GPS data that their collars will provide, the researchers will be able to follow their progress. These animals have also not been around in Germany for almost a century. At least, not in the wild. European mink The mink's fate was intricately tied to its fur. Added to this, American mink were released from fur farms and were able to spread out in the wild, outcompeting their smaller relatives. European mink are now seen as one of the most endangered mammals in the world. When the animals first successfully reproduced in captivity, a Europe-wide breeding program to save the species was set up. The pregnant females are distributed to wildlife parks and zoos. One of these is the zoo in Kornberg, northwest of Frankfurt. There, the youngsters are born 42 days later. One of these valuable kits is Lotta. She has no idea what lies ahead for her. On the Rhine floodplain, pond turtle number eight is surprised by the first cold days. The temperature numbs her limbs. The only chance to warm up is offered by the fading sunlight. In late autumn, the days are short. But the cold blood in her veins also has advantages. When the body temperature drops with falling temperatures, her entire metabolism slows down. In doing so, she uses less energy and is able to do without food completely. In addition, she filters oxygen from the water through an anal bladder. Effectively, she breathes through her backside. She is well prepared. But will she survive the first winter in the wild? While the Palatinate Forest might seem wild, it is dissected by roads and inhabited by people. What if Lucky gets too close to local residents? Thanks to intensive public relations work, sheep farmers as well as hunters have come to accept the lynx as members of the forest community. And the people that brought them here always keep a watchful eye on them. The researchers need to collect information about the health and whereabouts of the new arrivals. The film team relies on their own custom-made camera traps. At first, without success. Until one of the cats shows itself to the quiet observers, they only have the GPS signals to go on. Based on this data and their calls, it is at least clear that Lucky and the two females have stayed in the forest. Will they survive? Especially Lucky covers great distances and comes dangerously close to roads. In the safety of the zoo enclosure, Lotta's days consist of sleeping, eating and cuddling. She is now four weeks old. From the very beginning, she has close contact to her five siblings. Soon enough, that will change. Back in the Palatinate Forest, Lucky has crossed the road and is on the lookout for a mate. His two travel companions remain the only females in the vast range. First camera trap footage shows that, if nothing else, at least his hunting attempts have met with success. He returns to his kill under the cover of darkness. About once a week, he overpowers a roe deer. This kill provides him with food for a number of days. In the second night, a small sensation. While Lucky is busy with his deer, Kaya, one of his Carpathian companions, approaches. She must have followed his calls. Lucky doesn't let himself get disturbed yet. Before he disappears, the prey is camouflaged. The GPS signals reveal that Lucky is hiding nearby while he lets Kaya feed on his deer. Over the course of two nights, they share his prey, taking turns to feed. This behavior, filmed for the first time, can definitely be considered a date for these usually solitary cats. It is likely the two will mate. Courtship and mating among larger cats is often wild. Whether Lucky's damaged right ear is a souvenir from the time with Kaya remains his secret. Almost nobody in Germany knows these rodents. That could be because much of their life is spent half a meter under the ground. Another reason is surely because the European ground squirrel has been extinct in Germany for over 50 years. The animals lived in large colonies and raided entire fields bare. In addition, oxen and horses were often injured when they broke through into the underground tunnels during fieldwork. They were persecuted mercilessly as cultural pests. So the fact that this male, number 4232, is waking up from hibernation on a meadow in the eastern Ohr mountains is something very special. This was made possible through a reintroduction program. 22 ground squirrels from an enclosure in Vienna were released here in 2006. At first it seems a resounding success. Some of the ground squirrels even mate and young are born. One of them is 4232. A little colony develops. Nobody knows what deadly danger lies in wait for the pioneers of the Ohr mountains. When it gets cold, the ground squirrels accumulate a good layer of fat, seal their burrows and enter hibernation, rolled up in a furry ball. A layer of snow insulates them against wind and cold. But then comes a winter that is so mild that the blanket of snow covering them melts again. Too early. Consequences of climate change. Water and renewed frosts penetrate their burrows. Over half of the animals freeze to death. Has their reintroduction failed? Or is there still hope? Enticed into the outdoor enclosure by the sun, Lotta discovers the water. But this is really her element can already be guessed when you see the webbing between her toes. Lotta and her siblings instinctively know what they need to do. This is where the qualities of their fur comes into their own. One quick shake and it's almost dry again. No one watching Lotta and her siblings could possibly want a lifeless coat made of their fur hanging from their shoulders. Then it's time for the next step. Even in the wild, this would be the time for the offspring to separate from their mother to look for a territory of their own. In order for the scientists to be able to distinguish Lotta from other minks, a microchip is implanted under her skin. This rice-grain-sized piece of technology can later be scanned to reveal information about age, sex and mass of the animal when it was released. It is hoped that Lotta can play her part in helping to revitalize a reawakening wilderness. Ecosystems around Lake Steinhuder Meer in Lower Saxony have been intensively rewilded and it is hoped that this area can provide a suitable home for the reintroduced European minks. When the door opens for Lotta again, the world it opens into is a different one. Suddenly it smells of forests, marshes and its inhabitants. Outside the enclosure there are no zoo visitors anymore, just wilderness. Lotta knows nothing of the dangers that await. She will have to learn to trust her instincts. The enclosure provides safety and the chance for her to slowly get used to her newly acquired freedom. She doesn't need to be worried about finding food. Not yet, anyway. In the Palatinate Forest, excitement has reached fever pitch among the researchers. Kaya's GPS data show a very specific pattern. Only when the animals reproduce on their own can the project be seen as a success. Experience has shown that a star-shaped pattern of movements, meaning she returns to the same spot again and again, points towards her having offspring. Her first wild-born cubs. A sensational success. After less than a year, Lucky and Kaya have produced youngsters. The first Palatinate lynxes in over 200 years. The two brothers must leave a drop of blood behind. Then they receive a chip that will allow them to be identified again later. They are given the names Filu and Pelu. The procedure is not dangerous for the little ones. Kaya looks on with apparent calm. To be on the safe side, Kaya takes her offspring to safety. Filu is the first to go. The sandstone boulders offer a myriad of potential hiding places. During the upcoming weeks, she will suckle her cubs and later provide them with meat. Finally, it is Pelu's turn. Will the young female manage to get both of her cubs through the first week successfully? In the eastern Ore Mountains, European ground squirrel male 4232 suspiciously eyes his neighbours. The squirrels forget during their hibernation who is friend and who is foe. 4232 is ready to fight his rivals for the females. But there are no rivals anywhere to be seen. Where are the others? While the male waits for the rest of his family to emerge, there is a lively and healthy colony in the Czech Republic, less than 40 kilometres away. But for 4232, getting there would be much too far and dangerous. A colony of over 100 animals lives at the foot of the Mila volcanic cone. Pulsating squirrel life. The Czech colonies were regarded as so healthy that plans were afoot to relocate excess animals to the eastern Ore Range. But then, suddenly, the birth rates plummet. Instead of reinforcing the family of our number 4232, the Czech ground squirrels need help themselves. In 2020, they receive support. Because it makes more sense to support a functioning colony than one that is already weak. Unfortunately, this is no help for 4232. After waiting for a few days in vain, the fear becomes a reality. Unfavourable weather conditions and diseases have swept through and wiped out the colony. 4232 is the last surviving representative of its kind in the country. The rarest animal in Germany. Few German regions are as diverse as Lake Steinholdamir. From today, Lotta will do her part to improve this further. Her path to freedom is now clear. From now on, she is on her own. Nobody taught her how to survive in the wild. Now, Lotta needs to show if she is able to get along in these new surroundings. Lake Steinholdamir is one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. What is likely the most important wildlife reintroduction programme in Germany is happening right here. For this reason, experts selected this reserve as one of two locations for the resettlement of the European mink. Unfortunately, an earlier attempt along a stream in the southwest of Germany was unsuccessful. Will Lotta share the fate of her predecessors, or will she be more fortunate? What is certain, Lotta must urgently find food. This is no longer being provided for her. Now she needs to hunt for herself. Instinctively, she knows how that goes. But a frog is just as able to rely on his instincts. Thanks to years of commitment by conservationists, Lotta's new home is characterised by numerous reed beds, swamps and swamp forests. Lots of space for her and others like her. Ideal conditions for a network of mink territories to be developed here. But to survive in the long term, more than this is needed. After just a few days, she meets another mink. A good sign. Their activities don't go unnoticed. Nowadays, the greatest threat for European mink around here are foxes, no longer people. Fortunately for Lotta, this fox does not seem to be the most effective hunter. After four months of hibernation, number eight reappears on the Rhine floodplain. The prospect of some warmth draws her out onto the sunbeds. Most of the pond turtles seem to have gotten through the winter well. But only if they are able to provide for their offspring can the pond turtles ensure the continued existence of this rare species. A male shows his interest in number eight in a very special way. He clings to her. His plastron is slightly concave, letting it fit onto the female's rounded back. If the mating is successful, number eight will lay her eggs in around two months. Usually, she would return to the site of her birth. Impossible in her case. Will she be able to find a suitable site with warm sand in her new home? Back in the Palatinate Forest, it is also mating time again. Since his release three years ago, competition in Lucky's range has increased a lot. Two other male lynx regularly roam through his territory. Raynaud even uses the same trails as him. The male was recently brought in as reinforcement from the Carpathians. Raynaud shows clearly that he feels very comfortable here. Reason enough for Lucky to emphasize his claim to his kingdom. Rocks are ideally suited for marking territories, like the lynx's own social media platform. Philou, one of Lucky's two sons, also shows up at his father's marking rocks. The first Palatinate lynxes are now almost two years old. Because males only reach sexual maturity at the age of three, Philou will not provide any competition to his father for a while. What he does provide is competition for food. Meanwhile, the wildlife in the lynx range seems to have gotten used to the new predators. It is becoming more careful. When hunting at dusk, Lucky's powerful eyes come into their own. Everything else around him gets shut out. For him, dangers like roads no longer exist. Neither do cars. Lucky's life ends on a forest road, 1,000 kilometers from where he was born. His offspring, however, will keep his legacy alive. On the Rhine floodplain, Number 8 is on the lookout for a suitable area for her offspring. For a creature whose body weight is usually supported by water, this is no easy road. It is her motherly instinct that keeps Number 8 going. Her abdomen is filled with around 12 eggs. What is missing is a good, sunny site for laying them. She must do some pioneering work. And that at a location where no pond turtles have been born for decades. The meanders of the Rhine once spread out over a width of 300 meters. Little islands and sandbars were available everywhere to take up the eggs. Today, this is different. At the end of the day, the laying pressure gets too big. The site was chosen in desperation. Whether it is suitable for protecting and warming the fragile eggs remains to be seen. The little reptiles need around 100 days to develop. Foxes and wild boar are always active around the wetlands and would happily eat the nutritious eggs or young turtles. During one of the last sunny days in September, the time has come. Instinctively, she heads for the water. She is one of the first. Many more will follow. This success proves that European pond turtles can once again have a future in the Rhine floodplains. Lotte continues to get along well at Lake Steinhudermeer. The alder forest offers ideal conditions. Besides hiding places, there is also a lot of food available. Lotte has developed into a very successful huntress. But here, prey is also quick. Again and again, Lotte must come up for air. Finally, she tastes success. The reason for her increased food requirements lie well protected in her den under the roots of a willow. Here, too, they are the first wild-born offspring for a long time. A great success story for Germany's biodiversity. The country's first stable European mink population could develop here at the Lake Steinhudermeer. How fragile the future of these minks is became very clear over the extremely dry summers in 2018 and 2019. The water levels drop precipitously. The mink's territories change so drastically that very few animals are recorded by the scientists' camera traps. And even if Lotte manages to survive the drought, her ecosystem around the Lake Steinhudermeer is effectively an island. A life raft of immeasurable value. Lucky's death leaves a gaping hole in the network of mink's territories in the Palatinate Forest. While his scent on the boulders slowly fades, Reino dares to venture into the abandoned territory more and more frequently, finally taking Lucky's place. This behavior is typical of lynxes and ensures their continued existence. Filou, on the other hand, leaves the range of his father and sets off on a journey of his own. He is drawn to the south. But soon, he reaches a boundary. A boundary very similar to the one which ended his father's life. But this one swells to a raging torrent. The camera traps that watch over the wildlife bridges, which were mainly built for the smaller wildcats, have not recorded any lynx activities so far. How much courage must a shy animal like a lynx have to muster to cross over such a structure under which noisy traffic constantly rushes by? Four months after Lucky's death, this crossing of the wildlife bridge opens up a whole new world to his son. The southern section of the forest had not been entered by the reintroduced lynxes until now. From there, Filou manages to reach the French Vosges. So it is Lucky's direct offspring who carries his genes into the world. The hope that the Palatinate forests can function as a hub for a Western European population of lynxes seems to be coming to fruition. Each species returned to the wild gets us closer to a natural balance. The path to getting there is rocky, but definitely worth it. Achieving success in the long term depends on conserving entire ecosystems. Animals need suitable homes to be able to survive. Anyone who has experienced the difficulty of providing locally extinct species with a second chance will do everything they can to ensure that we don't lose any others.