Now it's official: Forest Minister Michaela Kaniber (CSU) has given permission to move ibexes from Switzerland to the Benediktenwand.
Ten animals are to be transported to the Tölzer Land after Easter.
Munich/Benediktbeuern –
In 1959 it was just one, a magnificent ibex who had immigrated from the Bächental at Lake Achensee and whom the locals only called the “old man”.
A whim of nature – and an opportunity: in 1967, four ibex from a game reserve in Switzerland arrived by helicopter.
Today an estimated 80 to 100 ibexes live in the Benediktenwand area.
But there is a problem: the ibex colony in the Tölzer Land is isolated, the next population, for example on the Brünnstein near Oberaudorf, is far away.
Inbreeding threatens the stock, officially determined by the Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Sciences at the University of Zurich.
Therefore, animals from Switzerland should now provide a blood refresher.
Forest Minister Michaela Kaniber granted the permit on Tuesday.
“Our ibex on the Benediktenwand should continue to do well in the future.
That's why we're specifically helping the population there," emphasizes the minister.
Iris Biebach from the University of Zurich explains the planned procedure.
Seven goats between the ages of two and six years and three young bucks are to be caught in April in the Swiss Valais, when the animals usually go down the valley to get to the grass in areas that are already free of snow.
The number of female animals predominates, as it is certain that goats "will reproduce and bring the Valais genes into the existing population," says the wildlife biologist.
The animals are to be stunned by Valais game wardens with an anesthetic gun.
A blood test follows – for example for bluetongue disease and chamois blindness – after which they can be exported to Germany.
"That will happen with animal transporters," says Wolfgang Morlang, district boss of the Tölzer Jäger.
Vehicles should also go as high as possible on the Benediktenwand before the animals are released.
He anticipates this could take place after Easter, says Morlang.
Hunting association had applied
The resettlement, which costs around 100,000 euros, is to be paid for from the hunting tax due to the hunting association.
Ten percent are donations, reports Morlang.
The district group of the Bavarian hunting association had submitted the application for resettlement.
The process dragged on for two years.
The approval was complex and time-consuming, says Minister Kaniber.
"We were a long way from a mere formality here." This was also due to the fact that the Supreme Hunting Advisory Board in the Ministry of Agriculture had critical questions.
One of the intensively discussed questions was the impact on wildlife browsing.
More ibex almost automatically means more browsing.
The Bund Naturschutz, which also sits on the advisory board, insisted that the deer population in the area be reduced in return.
BN boss Richard Mergner criticized the number of kills in the Isarwinkel area as recently as they were below the target.
"There must be no negative impact on forest regeneration," agrees Korbinian Wolf from the Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry in Holzkirchen.
Therefore, in the opinion of the BN, "taking" - i.e. shooting - of ibexes should in principle be possible, whereby markings would have to ensure that the hunters do not catch an abandoned Swiss animal of all things.
Scientific support
The Hunting Advisory Board has also made intensive monitoring a condition.
In about ten years, the population is to be “scientifically examined”, as Kaniber reports.
But now it's time to prepare for the reintroduction: "The work of the past two years has been exhausting.
I'm happy when she gets a good finish."