The International Union for Conservation of Nature reports good news from the Iberian Peninsula.
16:21•Updated 17:33
Found in Spain and Portugal, the Iberian lynx (also known as panther lynx or Spanish lynx) is coming back from the brink of extinction thanks to successful conservation efforts, The International Union for Conservation of Nature says.
The Iberian lynx is one of the most endangered cat species. However, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the endangered classification of the Iberian lynx has now improved from the extremely endangered to the endangered species classification.
The conservation measures aimed at the Iberian lynx have been very successful, as in 2002 there were estimated to be less than a hundred individuals of the Iberian lynx.
Now the number of individuals of the species is estimated at more than 2,000 individuals. The Iberian lynx lives in two distinct populations in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Even at the beginning of the 19th century, Iberian lynx lived even in France.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the most significant in the conservation efforts of the Iberian lynx is the breeding of the cat’s favorite prey, the rabbit. Conservation measures have also included increasing the genetic diversity of the species with transfer programs between populations and breeding programs.
However, the Iberian lynx is still under threat, and the biggest risk for the survival of the species is the variation in the size of the rabbit populations, which occurs due to, among other things, the spread of deadly viruses.