Iberian Lynx - Population

Population

The Iberian lynx is a critically endangered species; it is the world's most threatened species of cat, and the most threatened carnivore in Europe.

Studies conducted in March 2005 estimated the number of surviving Iberian lynx to be as few as 100, down from about 400 in 2000 and down from 4,000 in 1960. If the Iberian lynx were to become extinct, it would be the first big cat species to do so since Smilodon populator 10,000 years ago.

The only breeding populations are in Spain, and were thought to be only living in the Doñana National Park and in the Sierra de Andújar, Jaén. However, in 2007, Spanish authorities announced that they had discovered a previously unknown population in Castile-La Mancha (central Spain). It was later announced that there were around 15 individuals there.

The Iberian lynx and its habitat are fully protected, and they are no longer legally hunted. Its critical status is mainly due to habitat loss, poisoning, road casualties, feral dogs and poaching. Its habitat loss is due mainly to infrastructure improvement, urban and resort development and tree monocultivation, which serves to break the lynx's distribution area. In addition, the lynx prey population of rabbits is also declining due to diseases such as myxomatosis and hemorrhagic pneumonia.

In 2008, the Doñana population was assessed at 24 to 33, with an estimated 60 to 110 adults in the Sierra Morena, which is the stronghold of the species. The total population is estimated to be 99 to 158 adults, including the newly discovered La Mancha population, and the Iberian lynx qualifies as Critically Endangered under C2a(i) on the IUCN Redlist.

To reduce the risk of having only two core populations, the conservation community wants to reintroduce animals to other parts of Spain and Portugal. The Campanarios de Azaba area near Salamanca will be the first location and reintroduction is being discussed with the Ministry of Environment.