Iberian lynx, one of the rarest cats no longer endangered
One of the rarest cats on earth, the Iberian lynx, is no longer classified as endangered according to a new report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The organisation, which categorises species according to their risk of extinction, ‘upgraded’ the Iberian lynx from “endangered” to “vulnerable” following a significant increase in their numbers.
The Iberian lynx population grew significantly from just 62 mature animals in 2001 to 648 in 2022. When combining young and mature lynxes, the estimated population now exceeds 2,000, according to the IUCN.
This wild cat species, as its name suggests, inhabits the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Spain and Portugal. The latest census data reports 14 clusters where the Iberian lynx population is stable and reproducing, with 13 clusters in Spain and one in Portugal.
Once common across the entire peninsula, the Iberian lynx saw its numbers dwindle since the 1960s due to habitat loss, poaching, and road collisions, which nearly pushed the species to the brink of extinction.
However, thanks to conservation efforts, its population is bouncing back. The focus has been on increasing its main food source, the also endangered wild rabbit species, the European rabbit. Programmes have also freed hundreds of captive Iberian lynxes while others restored the scrublands and forests it lives in. All of this has played an important role in ensuring that the Iberian lynx is no longer endangered.
