The recovery of the Iberian lynx continues steadily, and not only in Andalusia, its main stronghold on the Peninsula, but also in Castilla-La Mancha. A total of 208 Iberian lynx cubs were born in the wild in this last autonomous community during 2021, in the three reintroduction zones, half of them in Montes de Toledo. In this way, the regional census exceeds 473 copies.
The regional councilor for Sustainable Development, José Luis Escudero, together with the general director of Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification, María Jesús Rodríguez de Sancho, and the president of the Toledo Provincial Council, Álvaro Gutiérrez, proceeded this Friday to release into the natural environment three Iberian lynx specimens at the El Borril farm, within the reintroduction area of Montes de Toledo.
“We are at an optimal time for a species still in danger of extinction, since during the past year 2021 Castilla-La Mancha has had the birth of 208 puppies in freedom, 104 in Montes de Toledo, 66 in Eastern Sierra Morena and 38 in Western Sierra Morena, a record that marks a historical milestone in conservation of the species and that makes us feel especially proud and satisfied, since it places the regional census above 473 specimens & rdquor ;, said the counselor.
Castilla-La Mancha, Portugal, Andalusia, Extremadura, Murcia, the central government and 21 other partners carry out “important” work through the European project Life ‘Lynx Connect’ with a budget of 18.7 million euros to promote different actions for the conservation of the species, the Castilian-Manchego Government has reported in a statement.
The project deals with main challenge to achieve a self-sustaining and genetically viable population of the species through the connection of the existing nuclei, the consolidation of the populations created in the previous project (‘Life Iberlince’) and the reduction of non-natural mortality, especially that caused by being run over.
Nine lynx released this year
As for the three lynx specimens released this Friday, they are two males, Sureño and Sazú; and a female, Silene, born in 2021 and from the Acebuche Captive Breeding Center in Almonte (Huelva), managed by the Autonomous Organization of National Parks.
With this loose There are already nine lynx released this year.
During the 2022 release season, 12 Iberian lynx specimens will be released in Castilla-La Mancha, nine in the Montes de Toledo reintroduction area and three in Sierra Morena Oriental, from the different existing captive breeding centers in Spain and Portugal. Since 2014, there will be 119 lynxes released in Castilla-La Mancha.
The counselor explained that the conservation of the species is carried out through monitoring, marking individuals or health surveillance, in addition to working to recover the wild rabbit in areas where lynx are present, pursue poaching and reduce mortality due to being run over.
In this sense, some progress has been made performances on roads: Works are already planned on the CM-410 and CM-403 and the A-4 motorway, co-financed by the Life ‘Lynx Connect’ project and focused on the installation of perimeter fences, channeling and adaptation of existing passages and signage.
The number of specimens rose to 1,111 half a year ago in Spain and Portugal, the largest population of this native species in the Iberian Peninsula since monitoring programs have existed. With the new release of Castilla-La Mancha, this number has increased by another 208, apart from those born in other autonomies.
Two decades ago, the Iberian lynx was at risk of extinction: there were less than 100 copies left.
In total they existed in 2021 14 nuclei with stable presence of lynxes throughout the Iberian Peninsula, but the most important are those located in the surroundings of Sierra Morena (with 603 lynxes). the Montes de Toledo (145), the Guadiana Valley (140) and the Matachel area in Extremadura (131).
release of imperial eagless
On the other hand, during this Friday also two imperial eagles have been released that have been recovered at the Center for the Study of Iberian Raptors (CERI) in Sevilleja de la Jara (Toledo).
These are two females born in 2021: one came from the Casar dehesa and entered in September after falling into a pool near the nest, and another came from Los Yébenes (Toledo) and arrived with signs of starvation.
The CERI of Sevilleja is one of the 11 that are part of the Network of Wildlife Centers of Castilla-La Mancha and, in addition, it is the oldest bird recovery center in Spain and the only one in the world in which achieved the breeding in captivity of the Iberian imperial eagle.
During 2021, 1,340 admissions were registered and 29 animals were born at CERI: two golden eagles, two great bustards, 15 lesser kestrels, four common kestrels, two white storks and four little owls.