The Iberian lynx has moved from "endangered" to "vulnerable" status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)'s Red List of Threatened Species – a historic achievement for conservation and the result of the work of 21 organisations.
While the Spanish Environment Ministry only counted 62 adult Iberian lynx in 2001, a new count in 2023 recorded 2,021 – representing a 21% growth compared to the year before. As a result, the IUCN Red List has moved the species to the "vulnerable" category.
"The Iberian lynx was on the verge of extinction, but this remarkable success shows that even the most endangered species can recover thanks to our work," said Nicolas Tubbs, director of international programmes at WWF-Belgium. "This concrete evidence makes us hope that large-scale wildlife recovery in Europe will one day become a reality."
Conservation efforts for the iconic feline have mainly focused on increasing its prey presence: primarily the European rabbit, which currently faces a 70% decline in its population.
On the other hand, the lynx also faces a range of threats caused by human factors, so measures have also been taken to reduce illegal hunting and poaching, as well as to prevent mortality from road accidents (collisions with vehicles are the main cause of unnatural mortality of these lynx).
Despite this resurgence, the definitive recovery of the Iberian lynx as a species requires the establishment of new populations to ensure the growth of females. Therefore, WWF is currently working with other organisations to reintroduce lynx in two areas of Castile-La Mancha and one in Andalusia. Additionally, it is essential to work on ecological connectivity between the different populations.
And in Belgium?
Lynx are also present in Belgium: the Eurasian lynx, a cousin of the Iberian subspecies. A study conducted last month showed that there is room for 75 of these lynx in Belgium. "The Spanish example also offers a glimmer of hope for Eurasian lynx, which have multiple populations in neighbouring countries."
The challenges for the variant in Belgium are similar: good ecological connectivity within the territory and between the different populations of lynx, combating mortality from road accidents and ensuring sufficient prey items. With the ample presence of deer and roe deer in the south of Belgium, this condition is already met.
"WWF-Belgium is already working on making our country more hospitable to the lynx by restoring, connecting and protecting our nature. For example, by creating forest edges and forest clearings and restoring endangered habitats to make them integral forest reserves," Tubbs said. "Besides the lynx, the whole biodiversity benefits from this: from wild cats to alpine newts."
