The Iberian Lynxes and the rabbit population

The south of Spain is one of the best places in the world to observe lynx. The north of Andalusia in particular has a very high population, but lynx can also be found further north towards Madrid and to the west in Portugal!

An Iberian Lynx in Andalusia

The recent history of the Iberian lynx is a true success story! Only 20-25 years ago the species was on the brink of extinction, today we estimate that there are over 2000 animals yet again! What led to the decline of these fascinating animals in the first place? And how were they saved?

Like many animal species, the Iberian lynx is facing various challenges. Increasing development of the landscape, the general loss of habitat due to agriculture (olives!) and an increasingly unpredictable climate are among the main reasons why the population shrank until 25 years ago.

Increasing interest and awareness then led to the creation of protected areas and the lynx being considered more worthy of protection.

However, the lynx population is also closely linked to another animal, the rabbit. Rabbits are by far the most important prey of the Iberian lynx. Although they can also prey on other species (birds, lizards), they are heavily dependent on the availability of rabbits.
An epidemic among the rabbits was another main reason why the Iberian lynxes almost disappeared from the scene. However, the collapse of the lynx population was averted by stabilizing the rabbit population (also with human help) and targeted conservation programmes. The result can be seen today - a rapidly growing and relatively healthy population.