Context

As per the Spanish government, the number of endangered Iberian lynx in the wild in Spain and Portugal has nearly doubled since 2020.

Iberian Lynx Population in Spain and Portugal Nearly Doubles Since 2020

• As per the Spanish government:
• • 2023 Lynx Birth:  In 2023 a total of 722 lynx were born in Spain.
  • Total Lynx Population: The Combined lynx population in Spain and Portugal has reached 2021.
  • Recent Population Growth: The Lynx Population has doubled from 1,111 just three years earlier.

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About Iberian lynx

• The Iberian lynx is the world’s most endangered feline species. 
• Characteristic Features: Of all lynx, the Iberian has the most heavily spotted coat. 
  • The coat is sparse, short, and coarse. The coat’s base color is bright yellowish red or tawny, overlaid with dark brown or black spots. 
  • The cat has white underparts. This species, like other cat species, is sexually dimorphic, with males being heavier and longer than females. 
    • Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species.
• Habitat: The Iberian lynx lives in Mediterranean forests composed of native oaks and abundant undergrowth and thickets. 
  • It favours a mixture of dense scrub for shelter and open pasture for hunting. 
  • Iberian lynx are found only in two small areas of southwest Spain on the Iberian Peninsula, west of the Pyrenees mountains. 
• Threats: 
  • Habitat destruction and alteration due to agricultural and industrial development
  • Conversion of native Mediterranean forest to plantations with no undergrowth
  • Direct persecution
  • Killed by automobiles
  • Caught illegally or hunted with dogs
  • Killed in traps set for other predators
• Conservation Status: 
  • The Iberian lynx is considered Endangered (EN) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
    • In 2015 the Iberian lynx was officially downgraded from Critically Endangered to Endangered. 
  • The Iberian lynx is protected under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).