The cubs that were born last year in the breeding centres are now ready to go into the field. During the last few months they have learned from their mothers and developed their hunting skills and exploratory behaviour. They have also learned to defend their prey against their littermates and to avoid contact with humans. In the breeding centres, a training protocol is carried out to encourage the development of all these behaviours.

Now it is time to prepare them for their release into the field. Genetic counsellors (EBD-CSIC) study which pups should go to each reintroduction area. These areas are currently located in Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha, Extremadura and Portugal.

In the breeding centres, the cubs undergo a preliminary health check to ensure that their physical condition is good, that they do not have any pathology or any of the infectious or contagious diseases relevant to the species. This check-up is also attended by the field work teams to fit them with the GPS-UHF collar that will allow them to track the puppies once they are released.

While waiting for the results of the analyses to reveal no health problems, there are only a few days left before these puppies, ready to go out into the field, will walk through it for the first time.