Two specimens of Iberian lynx were released on the afternoon of 22 February, on the Las Arenillas estate, located in the municipality of Villanueva del Rio y Minas (Seville), in one of the Iberian lynx reintroduction areas in Andalusia.

This area is one of the future connection areas between Sierra Morena Oriental, Doñana and the Matachel Valley in Extremadura, where lynx have already been present since at least 2020. The first litter of the female “Osuna”, from Montoro, and the male “Dminas” were recorded this year. One of the cubs from this litter, “Remesal”, was recovered after a period of poor physical condition, thanks to the help of the keeper of the Sociedad de Cazadores de Las Minas.

The two released specimens, ‘Sirena’ and ‘Secreto’, from the captive breeding centre in Silves (Portugal), have names, which last week were chosen for them by the pupils of the CEIP Virgilio Fernández Pérez de Villanueva del Río y Minas (Seville). “Sirena”, born on 12th March 2021, is the daughter of “Jabaluna” and the male “Hermes” and “Secreto”, born in February of the same year, is one of the three members of the litter of “Juromenha” and “Juncabalejo”. Both have been genetically selected in order to enrich the genetic variability in this area.

La elección de esta área para la reintroducción no es casual, ya que esta zona se encuentra entre las seleccionadas como “áreas de conexión” que son parches de habitad adecuados para ser seleccionados como zonas intermedias entre un núcleo poblacional y otro, dentro de las acciones previstas en el proyecto LIFE LYNXCONNECT ‘Creación de una metapoblación de lince ibérico (Lynx pardinus) genética y demográficamente funcional (2020-2025).

Entre los objetivos principales del LIFE LYNXCONNECT se encuentran la conexión de las poblaciones actuales de lince ibérico, minimizar la pérdida de diversidad genética y la prevención de la endogamia. Para ello es necesario crear pequeños asentamientos de linces en zonas de conexión que faciliten el intercambio de individuos, y de esta manera de genes, entre las poblaciones existentes.

La CAGPyDS es beneficiario Coordinador del proyecto, LIFE LYNXCONNECT, un proyecto de cooperación transnacional que abarca todo el área de distribución de la especie, en el que participan administraciones ambientales y con competencia en carreteras de dos países y cuatro comunidades autónomas (España, Portugal, Andalucía, Castilla la Mancha, Extremadura y Murcia); organizaciones no gubernamentales del sector medioambiental (Adenex, WWF-España y Fundación CBD-Hábitat); representantes del sector cinegético, Fundación Artemisam, private companies (Fotex and Fomecam Terra) and with the scientific support of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Estación Biológica de Doñana.

The total budget of the LIFE LYNXCONNECT project amounts to 18.754.029 million euros, with the contribution of the LIFE Programme, as a financial instrument of the European Union, being 60.67% of this amount, 11.378.919 million euros. The remaining percentage of co-financing is provided by the associated beneficiaries and the coordinating beneficiary.

The CAGPyDS of the Junta de Andalucía is aware of the challenge of the viability of the new Iberian Lynx populations: connection between populations, permeabilisation of infrastructures, and conservation and improvement of the habitat, in order, above all, to guarantee the presence of its main prey, the rabbit. Along these lines, the Regional Ministry is also involved in two other Life Projects, SAFE-CRISSING and IBERCONEJO. The first one contemplates a series of actions aimed at avoiding the running over of wildlife on asphalted roads, the second is a project at Iberian level focused on improving knowledge of the species, carrying out an Iberian census, and promoting initiatives to improve and prevent damage.