• In Spain and Portugal The miracle of the Iberian lynx: its population now exceeds a thousand copies

  • Life The abuses, the pending subject of the lynx that the fourth European project wants to remedy

The Iberian lynx will have two new areas of introduction, in Granada and Murcia, and at least

10 areas

that serve as a connection between the current population centers.

This is one of the main objectives of the European Life Lynx Connect project, which will last until 2025 with a budget of 18 million euros, as reported to EL MUNDO by its director, Javier Salcedo.

The last official census reported the existence in the natural environment of

1,110 lynxes

, distributed by Andalusia, Portugal, Extremadura and Castilla la Mancha in consolidated populations, that is, in which there are at least 15 reproductive females. Such a positive outlook compared to the 80 specimens from 2002 that Salcedo considers it to be, in his opinion, the most unexpected thing on this path in the recovery of an animal then critically endangered.

The technicians and the EU budget allow this new Life to tackle new steps beyond the

survival

of the feline.

One of the main ones is to avoid being hit on the roads, the main cause of unnatural mortality.

There are two of the deadliest routes.

On the Seville-Madrid highway, near Andújar-Cardeña, 31 lynxes have fallen according to official data from two years ago;

and on the Hinojos-Villamanrique highway, next to Doñana, 12. The other three 'black' roads are La Carolina-Úbeda, Montoro-Fuencaliente, and Villafranca-Adamuz.

The miracle of the Iberian lynx: its population now exceeds a thousand copies

Salcedo points out that all the administrations with responsibilities for roads in the two countries and the

four

autonomous

communities

are members of Life, and "increasingly they consult us when drafting new road projects" to avoid "fragmenting the habitat", which it is what causes the feline to cross them.

The

roads

are key when the lynx population continues

to grow, and therefore to move in search of their own territories.

Another of Life's key steps will lead to the creation of stable populations in Sierra Arana (Granada), and in the Altos de Lorca (Murcia).

New spaces that recover the presence of a species in its frequent day throughout the peninsula.

Javier Salcedo indicates that by 2025 they want to have at least 5 reproductive females in both regions.

This will be done through

reintroductions

, thanks to the lynx captive breeding centers. These were essential when years ago it was possible to save the species thanks to the facilities in Doñana. Fortunately, today the natural environment is the great 'producer' of puppies. Last year 30 were born in captivity, and about 400 in the wild.

In the established populations of lynx young males come out in search of their space every year.

In order to connect them with safe routes, Life will decide after the summer where to locate 10 connecting places where conditions exist: sufficient abundance of rabbits, few or no roads, and adequate habitat.

They will be 'resting places' for the felines to roam.

These enclaves will be located on both public and private farms, through the system of

custody

of the territory.

The director of the Lynx Connect program, Javier Salcedo.

It is an

agreement

between the owner and the Administration to benefit each other, without altering the activity of the farm more than the owner wishes. Which benefits from the brand of ecological quality and the ecotourism attractiveness of having the great predator of the Mediterranean forest on your farm. Salcedo considers that there is no area in Europe with more custody of the territory than that developed by the lynx.

The success of the recovery of the species has many factors, and one that the director of Life highlights is

social commitment

.

Both the farm owners, the society itself, or the hunters, have assumed the benefit of recovering the species.

Ecologically without a doubt, since it avoids super populations of opportunistic predators such as the fox;

and economically, too, since ecotourism companies have a guaranteed attraction with an animal that has almost become extinct.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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