IZNALLOZ (GRANADA), 23 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Minister of Sustainability and Environment of the Andalusian Government, Catalina García, released two new lynx cubs on Friday afternoon in Sierra Arana, in the municipality of Iznalloz, Granada. At this event, she emphasized the role of the Andalusian community as «key to the success story of the species’ recovery, as the work carried out in the region has led to the Iberian lynx no longer being in danger of extinction after two decades, with a total of 2,401 individuals in the Iberian Peninsula.»
As detailed by the Ministry in a statement, Andalusia is home to 836 Iberian lynx individuals (Lynx pardinus), according to the 2024 census of the species just published, representing an increase of 78 individuals compared to 2023. Additionally, there has been an increase of 19 breeding territories and 24 cubs compared to the previous year. The easternmost areas of the Community, Guarrizas and Sierra Arana, have shown the greatest growth capacity in 2024. On the other hand, in certain connecting areas, their breeding territories have been maintained or even increased in number, such as in the Sierra Norte de Sevilla and the Guadalquivir countryside.
In this context, the Minister highlighted that «all the lynxes currently roaming Spain and Portugal are descendants of the 75 females that remained in Andalusia two decades ago. It is important to recognize that the lynx recovery project is genuinely Andalusian, driven by the Regional Government.» García emphasized that «compared to 2019, the Iberian lynx population in Andalusia has almost doubled, as we have gone from 463 individuals to the currently counted 836,» and also pointed out that «if we look at the historical series, we were coming from slow growth, which has seen a significant increase in recent years.»
Andalusia has five breeding nuclei, distributed in the following areas: Doñana-Aljarafe with a total of 133 individuals counted, including 33 breeding females and 38 cubs. Eastern Sierra Morena hosted 585 individuals, with 123 breeding females and 174 cubs. Sierras Subbéticas had 18 individuals, with one breeding female and three cubs. In the connecting areas of Sierra Morena, a total of 53 different individuals were recorded, with eight breeding females raising a total of 22 cubs. In the Guadalquivir Countryside, a total of 38 individuals were counted, with seven breeding females producing a total of 19 cubs. As for dispersing individuals in areas away from their usual distribution, a total of nine specimens were detected (five males and four females).
FROM LA OLIVILLA TO SIERRA ARANA
The release of Vesta, a female from the Guarrizas population, a litter of four siblings from the female P1-Janga, and Víznar, from the Doñana population, daughter of the female Sed and the male Quichua, took place as part of a workshop in which journalists and content creators on social networks have the opportunity to learn about the on-site work carried out by the Life LynxConnect Project. After completing their respective quarantines, Vesta, in the CREA of Los Villares de Córdoba and La Olivilla, and Víznar, in the CCLI El Acebuche, continued to prepare for their translocation in the pre-release enclosures of La Olivilla, where they joined to socialize by sharing the enclosure since February 14.
The reintroduction area of Sierra Arana is located in the northern plateau of the province of Granada, specifically in the region of Los Montes. This natural area covers the municipal terms of Iznalloz, Benalúa de las Villas, Dehesas Viejas, Píñar, Morelábor, Colomera, Deifontes, and Albolote. The choice of this area as a reintroduction area is based on a technical protocol that ensures that this area meets the necessary conditions to host a stable and viable population of Iberian lynx.
The consolidation of the Iberian lynx in this environment represents one of the most significant achievements of the project. Since December 2022, a total of 30 individuals have been released in Sierra Arana: five in 2022, nine in 2023, ten in 2024, and eight so far in 2025. Of these, 22 come from captive breeding centers and eight have been captured in the wild, seven from the Sierra Morena population and one from the Doñana-Aljarafe population.
A significant milestone occurred in 2024, with the birth of three cubs from a pair released the previous year. This marks a turning point, as the Iberian lynx had not reproduced in this area for over four decades. The Regional Government, through the four Life Projects, has been «key» in the recovery of the Iberian lynx, which in 2024 surpassed the «critical» status and is now classified as «vulnerable» on the IUCN Red List.
«This is an unprecedented milestone globally, as it is the first time a feline species has moved out of the ‘critically endangered’ category, in which it was included in 2002, to be recognized, 22 years later, as a vulnerable species,» commented García, adding that «it is an emblematic example of conservation success, endorsed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which considers the Iberian lynx a symbol of what can be achieved when public administrations and civil society work hand in hand.»
For the Minister, «the collaboration of all has been fundamental, in an open and participatory model in which administrations, conservation organizations, ecologists, NGOs, landowners, agricultural associations, hunters, researchers, media, and a wide range of social actors have actively engaged in a common goal: to save the Iberian lynx.»
Additionally, García focused on the «common commitment» to the preservation of the species, noting that «roads are one of the main enemies of the Iberian lynx.» She detailed that «the Andalusian Government focuses its efforts on awareness campaigns for the population and on adapting signage in lynx areas.»
Among the actions carried out are the installation of devices, called AVC prevention systems, to prevent the death of wildlife from collisions, being the first region to do so. These devices are being tested on three Andalusian roads in Vilches (Jaén), Adamuz (Córdoba), and in the Doñana area.
Additionally, neuromarketing panels have been installed on roads in Jaén, Córdoba, Seville, and Huelva. In 2022, a virtual barrier was installed on the A-312 road in Vilches (Jaén), at kilometer 4.5, emitting lights and sounds towards the natural environment to alert wildlife of danger. In January 2025, and after an investment of nearly one million euros, the adaptation of the regional road A-308, in the section from the junction with the A-301 road in Granada, was completed to reduce the risk of Iberian lynx collisions and improve road safety by installing physical and virtual fencing on both sides.
The release event was also attended by the Mayor of Iznalloz, Carlos Romero; the Deputy Minister of Sustainability and Environment, Sergio Arjona; the Government Delegate of the Andalusian Government in Granada, Antonio Granados; the Director-General of Forest Policy and Biodiversity, Juan Ramón Pérez Valenzuela; the General Coordinator of the Life Lynx Connect Project, Javier Salcedo, as well as representatives from the municipalities of Piñar and Morelabor, Environmental Agents, and the Seprona.
