In a statement sent to Lusa, the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF) states that the “2021 monitoring of the population of Iberian lynx reintroduced in the Guadiana Valley reveals that there are 70 new cubs out of a total of 24 breeding females”.

This is “10 more births and six more breeding females” compared to 2020, stresses the ICNF, admitting that these numbers can still be “revised upwards, given the vast area now occupied by the species”.

“Seven years after the start of the reintroduction process, around 200 lynxes are now spread over a vast territory”.

Mother Lynx and Kittens

According to the ICNF, “one of the most relevant aspects of 2021 was the consolidation of the population in the Algarve”, where nine lynxes were born.

In the coming years, under the LIFE Lynxconnect project, “initiatives will be developed to strengthen the connection between the various lynx populations and enhance the Mediterranean ecosystem, improving the quality of the habitat and the abundance of prey”, highlights the same organisation.

The ICNF notes that “the successful reintroduction of the lynx, verified over these years, is the result of an Iberian effort”.

“Associations of hunters, farmers, landowners, NGOs [Non-Governmental Organizations], municipalities and government entities” came together “to rescue and reverse the trend of evolution of a species that was heading towards extinction”.