Turning point for the Capercaillie

The Rheinmetall AG is actively engaged in the protection of the critically endangered black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) and supports the preservation of this rare bird species with a donation of 10,000 Euros to the Association of Supporters of the Wildlife Foundation e.V. The funds will be used for a collaborative species conservation project to conduct genetic research on the black grouse populations in the Lüneburg Heath.

The black grouse is native to only two regions in Germany: The Alps and the Lüneburg Heath (20% of the total population). Aside from the larger black grouse populations found in the Bavarian Alps, the last remaining indigenous population of the Central European lowland can be found in the Lüneburg Heath. 

The populations in the Heath are strictly protected and are a particular focus of conservation authorities and specialist institutions. Here, the species lives in five separate sub-populations – including on the Rheinmetall shooting range – which limits genetic exchange. Whether the resulting impoverishment of the gene pool is partly responsible for the continuous decline in individual numbers is currently under investigation.

To analyze the genetic diversity of the populations, modern studies based on fresh fecal samples are necessary. Rheinmetall is now providing 10,000 euros for this research. The donation is part of the company's long-standing commitment to conservation: the Forestry/Hunting/Conservation department of Rheinmetall has been carrying out measures to preserve the black grouse for decades and is an active partner in the regional action plan for the rescue of the black grouse in the Lüneburg Heath.

The action plan brings together a variety of stakeholders who are committed to the protection of the black grouse in the Heath. These include, among others: the conservation and hunting authorities of the respective counties, the Federal Forests and the Bundeswehr Service Center, the state and monastery forests, the Lüneburg Heath Nature Conservation Park Foundation, the Alfred Toepfer Academy for Nature Conservation, the Lower Saxony State Hunting Association, the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, as well as the state bird protection station of the NLWKN and the Lower Saxony Ministries of Environment and Agriculture.

“As landowners, we not only bear responsibility but also conviction in our actions,” explains Hermann Mielich, forest engineer at Rheinmetall in Unterlüß. “The protection of the black grouse is not only an ecological obligation for us but also an expression of lived sustainability.” With the donation, Rheinmetall underscores its sustainable commitment to species conservation and makes a valuable contribution to the survival of a unique bird species in Germany.