During mating season, Navarro, a male lynx with leopard-like spots, is captured on camera as he calls out while walking towards a camera trap. The Iberian lynx, just under 100cm in length and 45cm in height, was once on the brink of extinction. However, with more than 2,000 now in the wild across Spain and Portugal, sightings are becoming more common. Rodrigo Serra, who oversees the reproduction program, recalls a time when there were fewer than 100 lynxes left, with only 25 females of reproductive age. The decline was attributed to various factors such as agricultural expansion, road fatalities, and a decrease in wild rabbit populations – a crucial food source for lynxes. Conservation efforts in Portugal and Spain have led to the establishment of breeding centers and strict monitoring to ensure the lynxes are prepared for release into the wild. Despite some challenges, the reintroduction of lynxes has been considered a success, with hopes of reaching a favorable conservation status by 2035. “Es surrealista que estemos en un lugar donde podemos ver linces en la naturaleza o a través de cámaras trampa casi a diario,” dice Sarmento.
El equipo de reproducción no está siendo complaciente y hay riesgos involucrados en su trabajo. El año pasado, el 80% de las muertes de linces ocurrieron en las carreteras.
Por ahora, sin embargo, sienten confianza en que el lince ibérico ha sido salvado.
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