Germany is the 7th largest country in Europe. Despite its size, much of its wildlife populations were lost in the past. Some of these have returned, and there is ongoing debate about bringing back those still missing.

Wolves are thought to number about 1200 within the boundaries of Germany, with the bulk of these found in the north, having naturally migrated back into the country from Poland – where they were never fully eradicated.

Bears have been extinct in Germany, since around 1800, but given the countries that surround it, have recovering bear populations, it seems inevitable that they will eventually recolonize Germany as well. There have been a number of bears which have wandered across the border. These have usually been met with a certain amount of hysteria, and have ended either when the bear wandered back over a border, or unfortunately in other cases with the animal being killed. There is plenty of space for the bear, but it will only successfully. 

There has been a concerted effort to return Lynx to Germany after eradication back in the 1850s. The project occured in the 1970s and there are currently thought to be almost 200 lynx within Germanys border.

Bison were locally extinct in Germany as well. There has been an effort to reintroduce them in the last 10 years. The population (which all live in one area) currently stands at 26.

Directly below is a sightings map. Please add sightings to the map that you are lucky enough to encounter. Currently information is permanently available, though it is likely that at some point, I will move historical data behind a membership wall, in order to avoid it being used by hunters.