This Friday, the last specimen of the Iberian lynx in Extremadura has been released.

It is a female, called “Silene”, which will be released in the Hornachos area. She will join the specimens released in February of this year, which will make a total of 10 in 2022.

Silene has been released later because it had a certain delay in maturing, which has meant that it has taken longer to reach the optimum weight and conditions for its release into the wild.

It comes from the Acebuche breeding centre, and has been released by the hard release method (directly into the wild) in the Hornachos SAC (Special Conservation Area), which has an optimal Mediterranean scrubland habitat for the species, a high density of rabbits and great social support.

The Junta de Extremadura is a collaborating partner of the LIFE LYNXCONNECT Project, whose main objective is to consolidate the existing populations of Iberian lynx, guaranteeing the genetic and functional interconnection of the different nuclei.

The LIFE LYNXCONNECT Project “Creation of a genetically and demographically functional Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) metapopulation (2020 – 2025)”, co-financed at 60.67% by the EU, complements the Lynx Reintroduction Programme approved in 2016 in Extremadura.

It is the fourth LIFE project approved by the European Commission for the conservation of the Iberian lynx. Coordinated by the Junta de Andalucía, it is a transnational project that brings together the efforts of 21 public and private institutions from Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla La Mancha, Murcia and Portugal, environmental NGOs, representatives of the hunting sector and with the support of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, which will work to consolidate the population, guaranteeing the flow of genes between the different lynx populations.

With this release, the lynx population in Extremadura, counting the cubs born this year, will exceed 200 specimens, pending confirmation of the total number of cubs born this year.

In 2014, the reintroduction of this emblematic animal in Extremadura began and thanks to the collaboration of different administrations, companies, town councils, hunting federations, owners, managers, NGOs, Natural Environment Agents, the Ministry (OAPN) and SEPRONA, it has been possible to achieve great success in these years, managing to move from the category of “critically endangered” to “endangered” (IUCN category).