Since the start of the different management programmes and projects for the recovery of the Iberian lynx at the beginning of this century, the monitoring of wild rabbit populations has been one of the most important tools for the management of the species, as the monitoring of rabbit populations makes it possible:

-To know the suitability and capacity of the different mountains, farms and Natural Spaces to host the feline.

-To observe the evolution of the populations of the lagomorph over time, which is very dynamic and susceptible to serious declines caused by disease.

-To design the different habitat improvement projects aimed at increasing the carrying capacity of the environment and thus to ensure the numerical and spatial growth of the different lynx subpopulations.

The monitoring of rabbit populations is carried out in summer. The reason for carrying out this work on such an unpleasant date is to coincide the sampling with the time when rabbits are most abundant, as they have a maximum and minimum peak in population density throughout the yea

As explained in previous years, this census work basically consists of walking around the area to be sampled (the entire distribution area of the lynx and other areas of interest likely to be colonised by the feline) where information on the presence of rabbits is collected by geo-referencing all the latrines or “cagarruteros” observed along the different transects. The relationship between the number of “cagarruteros” and the distance travelled can be easily related to the density of rabbits in the sampled area, and this can be translated into the number of rabbits per hectare that exists in a given location. Knowing the trophic needs of the Iberian lynx, this data directly provides us with an estimate of “how many lynx fit in each portion of the territory sampled”, and this data is fundamental in the analysis of the evolution of the different areas of presence over time, as well as the potential for new individuals that may be present in new areas of presence or reintroduction. The monitoring of rabbit populations consumes a significant percentage of the working days of the different Iberian lynx monitoring teams, but this information is absolutely essential for adaptive management within the Recovery Plan.

This summer’s 2022 surveys are being a little different and a little more innovative, as they are also being used to take genetic samples of the lynx droppings observed on the different routes. This is the start of the implementation of an important action of LIFE LYNXCONNECT which aims in the medium to long term to “establish guidelines for the integrated management of all Iberian lynx subpopulations based on genetic criteria”.

In the first phase of this action, all known breeding individuals will be genetically characterised from genetic samples of collected scat. This will be necessary for the future implementation of genetic monitoring and management, in order to complement, for example, photo-trapping in the preparation of annual censuses, or also to know the genetic variability of each sub-population in order to optimise the processes of reintroduction and genetic reinforcement, selecting the most suitable or least represented genes in each area of distribution, maximising the genetic diversity of all the sub-populations.