Photographing Wild Wolves And Lynx In Germany

Wolves and lynx are two fascinating predators that have found a new home in Germany.

Feared and hunted

Wolves have a reputation not only to hunt and eat livestock, but humans as well. This bad reputation led to their extermination and for about 150 years, Germany was a wolf-free zone. But today, about 35 families of wolves are listed there. Another animal with the same story is the lynx who were hunted because of their precious fur. In the late 17th century, there were hardly any lynx left in Germany.

The wolves

Wolves have always been persecuted and intensively killed by humans. In 1990, a law made them protected animals in Germany and the first wild pups were born in 2000. The wolf population also increased as new families arrived from other countries such as Poland and Italy to settle.

Some hikers may not want to go into the woods because they feel frightened by the wolves. However, most of them want to experience nature in all its facets and wolves are, of course, the icing on the cake.

To get breathtaking opportunities to take photos of wolves, Eschenbach suggests 2 options. The first one is to visit the Wolfspark Werner Freund: it is located 221km west from Francfort, close to the city of Merzig. The second one is to go to the Alternativer Wolf- und Bärenpark on 1st and 2nd of October, as Photo Days will be organised there. It is located 1h30 southwest from Stuttgart.

The lynx

Like the wolves, the lynx were intensively hunted, mostly for their fine fur. It is said that the last lynx was shot in the Bavarian forest in 1846. However, their resettlement began in 1970 in Switzerland, followed by the Bavarian forest and then by the Harz in the center of Germany.

The lynx are shy and nocturnal. In Bavaria, hunters and shepherds remain skeptical towards the mammals because they fear for their deer, fawns and flock. If, unlike them, you want to approach the lynx and take outstanding pictures, here’s Eschenbach advice:

Spotting a lynx in the wild is very difficult. To give it a try, the best place to go is the Harz National Park. While hiking in the 24,703 hectares tremendous park, one may be lucky enough to see a lynx. However, to get a better opportunity to see them, the Rabbenklippe near Bad Harzburg is the place to be. Pamina and Tamino, two beautiful lynx, are fed there every Wednesday and Saturday at 14:30pm.

Useful addresses:

• Wolfspark Werner Freund, Waldstraße 204, 66663 Merzig, Germany
• Alternativer Wolf- und Bärenpark Schwarzwald, Rippoldsauer Straße 36/1, 77776 Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach, Germany
• Rabenklippe, 38667 Bad Harzburg, Germany

Find out more about Eschenbach binoculars, ideal for wild animal spotting