Cristina Hodgson
FOUR Iberian lynxes have been released into the wild in the Sierra Arana region of the Andalucian province of Granada as part of a breeding program aimed at conserving the endangered species.
The four wild felines, Trevelez and Tenebrio, two male Iberian lynxes and Tai and Tali, two females, were released into the wild last Monday, February 20.
After forty years of absence of the Iberian lynx in the area, this is the second release by the Junta in the Sierra Arana region in two months.
Unfortunately, in this same period of time, two of the eleven Lynxes found in the area have died, one from being run over and the other attacked by dogs.
A circumstance that expertes in the field consider ‘normal’ for a species that is slowly adapting to the Granada mountains after forty years of absence.
“The lynx, by nature, is a curious and daring animal which needs many hectares to move around. In this space, dangerous situations sometimes occur.” explained Antonio Granados, the Andalucian government delegate in Granada.
A total of 137 lynx have already been released in Andalucia over the last two decades through the Junta’s reintroduction programme.
Whereas in 2002 there were only 94 lynxes on the census, there are now more than 500.
READ MORE:
- Endangered Iberian lynx to return to Spain’s Murcia region
- Seven Iberian lynx breeding pairs selected for upcoming mating season in Spain’s Doñana
