Archive for the ‘Iberian lynx’ Category
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
I’ve been woefully neglecting this section of iberianature recently. Here are a couple of recent wildlife stories in the English press.
The Missing Lynx (The Guardian) Good article. “Ten years ago, there were barely 100 Iberian lynx left. But an innovative Spanish conservation programme is rescuing them from the edge of extinction”
And this story about ancient giant bunnies from Menorca reported in The Scientist
The skeletal remains of a 26-pound rabbit was found on an island off the coast of Spain. Dubbed the Minorcan King of the Rabbits, this ancient rabbit lived approximately three to five million years ago and now adds evidence to a curious rule concerning the evolution of animals in islands. The so-called “island rule” states that big animals will get smaller and small animals (such as rabbits) will get bigger when the population is isolated on an island, perhaps due to the lack of mainland predators. In this case, the King is a whopping six-times larger than living European rabbits, but due to a rigid spine and short legs, it was also unable to hop.
Posted in Andalucia, Balearics, Iberian lynx, Mammals, rabbits in Spain | No Comments »
Friday, December 31st, 2010
The road deaths amomg Doñana’s lynxes will hopefully be reduced with the building of four of these ecoducts across the infamous A-494 road, responsible for a unacceptable number of deaths (three just in 2010). The ecoducts are to covered in earth and vegetation.
El Mundo
Posted in Andalucia, Doñana, Iberian lynx | No Comments »
Monday, June 14th, 2010
The seven Iberian lynxes (four females and three males) released in December 2009 in Guadalmellato, Cordoba are breeding successfully. Three cubs have been born to one mother, and two other females are believed to be pregnant.
The seven animals were the first to be released from the lynx captive breeding programme with the aim of establishing new territories across Spain. In this first case, an area close to the main lynx stronghold of Andújar was chosen. To make their adaptation easier, supplementary food in the form of penned rabbits has been provided – the lynxes can get in, but the rabbit can’t get out. The animals have also been fitted with radio-trackers.
The biologists in charge of the project are delighted not only with the news of the cubs, but also because no lynxes have so far died – three to four were expected to do so as they succumbed to the ordeal of adapting to their new territory. One animal has also come into contact with lynxes from Andújar which bodes well that this small population can expand.
Photo of one of the Guadalmellato lynxes on its release: El Mundo
Tags: Cordoba, Guadalmellato, Iberian lynx in Cordoba
Posted in Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals | No Comments »
Sunday, June 13th, 2010
The plan to reintroduce Iberian lynx in the wild is to continue, despite the serious setback posed by the outbreak of a renal disease amongst the captive animals, in a year when only nine cubs were born. The fact that the wild populations in Andalucia are increasingly strong (65 and 165 animals in Doñana and Sierra Morena in, respectively) and the overall success of the captive breeding programme (80 cubs born so far) bodes well for the future, as does the increasing Iberian nature of the programme with the involvement of Castilla-La Mancha, Extredura and Portugal. EFE
Posted in Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals | No Comments »
Friday, April 30th, 2010
Apologies to regular readers of iberianature as other commitments have prevented me from updating the blog as much as I should.
Here are a few interesting stories I’ve not had time to report on in April:
Bears, lynx and wolves
Birds
Other stories
Tags: Sperm whales in Spain
Posted in bears, Iberian lynx | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
The captive Iberian lynx breeding project has been dealt a serious blow with the expected death in the next year of ten Iberian lynxes from renal disease. Four animals have already died, and 40% of the captive population of 70 have the disease, which has no cure. Breeding pairs have been reduced from 27 to just 9, and so far only 2 cubs have been born, with only ten forecast for the season. Project head Astrid Vargas has affirmed that the deaths will not put a stop to the programme.
Público
Tags: Astrid Vargas, Diseases of Iberian lynx
Posted in Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Three Iberian lynx have been run over in the last month in Doñana, one of the worst figures for years. The latest animal was a male found dead on the road connecting Matalascañas with El Rocíos. He is thought to have been dispersing in search of new territories. Almost three lynxes a year (26 in total) have been killed since 2000…And three in a single month is an utter disater. Clearly the traffic signs aren’t sufficient. Crónica Verde
Tags: Iberian lynx news in 2010, Mammals in Doñana, Matalascañas lynx
Posted in Andalucia, Doñana, Iberian lynx | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Garfio, the Iberian lynx who was captured in 2003 and begat the first brood of lynx cubs to be bred in captivity, has died this week from a chronic renal infection at the age of ten. In all he sired 11 little lynxes. El País
Photo of Garfio in action from Lynxexsitu.es. Thanks to TP on the forum who I’ve paraphrased here.
Posted in Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals | No Comments »
Friday, December 4th, 2009
The transfer of captive Iberian lynx from Spain to Portgual has been completed with the arrival of two males, bringing to a total of 16 animals (11 males and 5 females) at the new breeding centre in Silves in the Algarve.
According to the latest figures from the Andalucian government, there are now some 223 lynxes in the wild in Andalucia, 63 in Doñana and 160 in the Sierra Morena. This is remarkable increase from the low point of an estimated 120 animals in 2004 (42 in Doñana and 78 in Sierra Morena). This year 21 cubs were raised in Doñaña with a total of 16 female territories. As far I know, these total figures do not include the 15 odd animals recently discovered in Castilla-La Mancha.
As for the recent deaths of two female lynxes, it seems that a violent death has been ruled out in both cases. El País
Tags: Algarve wildlife, Conservation in Portugal, Iberian lynx in 2009, Iberian lynx in Portugal, Iberian lynx in the Algarve, latest Iberian lynx numbers, Lynx in Algarve, Portuguese lynx, Silves
Posted in Andalucia, Iberian lynx, Mammals, Portugal | No Comments »
