The Iberian lynx conservation efforts are giving very good results this year. 60 cubs were born in five breeding facilities in Spain and Portugal this spring, and 44 are still alive. This is the highest number of gestated pups from the beginning of the ex-situ breeding program and gives a total of 115 cubs since 2005.
Currently, the total ‘ex-situ’ population is 122 individuals (62 males and 60 females), 33 from the wild and 89 born in captivity (data from Iberian Lynx ex-situ conservation programme).
Since the beginning of the reintroductions in 2009, more than 30 lynx have been released in two areas of Andalucia (Spain), and 20 are still alive. One was photographed in April in Castilla la Mancha, far north from the distribution area. And one female, born in captivity and then reintroduced, gave birth this spring to four cubs, all of them still alive after the most critical phase of mortality.
From the 97 individuals censused in 2001, the estimated population in 2011 was 326 (Government of Andalusia). This is very good news for the most endangered cat in the world!
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