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Endangered animals: The one with the whiskers: There are more Iberian lynxes again

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Threatened animals
The one with the whiskers: There are more Iberian lynxes again

The IUCN downgraded the Iberian lynx from “critically endangered” to “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Photo

© epa efe Jose Manuel Vidal/epa efe/dpa

Just over 20 years ago, there were only 62 Iberian lynxes left in the wild in Spain and Portugal. Conservation measures are now showing success.

One of the few good Nature news: The population of the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) has grown. Experts from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have downgraded it from “critically endangered” to “vulnerable” in an update to the Red List of Threatened Species. This is now level three on the seven-level scale of endangered or already extinct species.

“Thanks to conservation efforts, we have managed to save this species from extinction,” said the IUCN in Gland near Geneva. The population has increased from 62 adult animals in 2001 to 648 in 2022. Experts now estimate that there are a total of 2,000 young and adult lynx of this species.

The Iberian lynx is a predator from the cat family. It is found in Spain and Portugal and is also called the Iberian lynx. It has pronounced whiskers and tufts of hair on its ears, which are important for hearing. When fully grown, it can grow to around 80 centimeters long.

The Iberian lynx feeds on wild rabbits, whose numbers have temporarily shrunk significantly due to disease, poaching and shrinking habitats. The climate crisis is also causing stress for both animals, it has been said.