The Portuguese population of lynx is breeding almost as successfully as the proverbial rabbit – it’s prey, with 20 cubs born in the wild this year. Even more wonderfully an incredible 19 made it past the crucial weaning stage, which is a success rate which must be almost unprecedented for the species.

In such a few short years the Iberian lynx reintroduced to Portugal are now approaching 60, a wonderfully rapid recovery, and fast approaching a viable number for a subpopulation.

Some of this year’s new successful mothers have settled in new council areas of Portugal, expanding from the area of Mertola to Castro Verde and Serpa, with other lynx moving to find territories in the neighbouring council districts of Alcoutim and Almodovar. This means they already border the historical ranges of the Odemira and Algarve subpopulations.

 

With the proven links to the Spanish lynx population in Donana a whole 70 km away, both ‘Mundo’ and ‘Nairobi’ originated in Donana and came to Portugal, it now seems possible -finally- that the Iberian lynx really will return to its historical range across Iberia.

 

 

Jabaluna and Lagunilla with their cubs, the first to be born to reintroduced mothers in Portugal in 2016 (photos from ICNF camera traps monitoring the population)

Over the next ten years the return of this apex predator could soon restore balance to it’s native Iberia, improving the overall health of its woodland and macquis. We live in exciting times when we are capable of restoring a species on the brink of extinction.