LYNXCONNECT concludes the first phase of lynx reintroduction in Sierra Arana

The lynxes that took centre stage on 3 March, coinciding with World Wildlife Day, are Toronja, Tamara and Tritao, two females and a male born in 2022 from the National Iberian Lynx Breeding Centre in Silves, Portugal. These three specimens are in addition to the four that were released just over ten days ago. Eleven lynx have already been released in the area, which, added to these three, would make a total of 14 individuals.

As a curious fact, in October 2009, the National Iberian Lynx Breeding Centre in Silves, Portugal, was founded with 16 specimens on loan from the Junta de Andalucía. And it is precisely from this Portuguese centre that the three lynxes we are releasing today come from, with Tritao, the only male in this release, being the 100th lynx from this centre.

In the specific case of Sierra Arana, during the period between 2015 and 2022,
some 20,000 hectares have been sampled annually in order to assess the suitability of the area and, among the results obtained, the abundance of rabbits and the quality of the habitat, which covers 14,375 hectares, stand out. The creation of a consolidated and viable population of Iberian lynx is a long-term project, so it is planned to continue releasing Iberian lynx in this area in the coming years.