New population of Iberian lynx raises hope, says World Wildlife FundOctober 24, 2007Madrid, Spain - Spanish authorities have announced they have discovered a previously unknown population of Iberian lynx, triggering hope for one of the world's most endangered cat species, said World Wildlife Fund today. "We are excited and amazed by this discovery," said Luis Suarez, head of WWF's Species Program in Spain. "However, we are a long way from saving the Iberian lynx from imminent extinction." It appears that the new population was discovered in previously unsurveyed estates in Castilla - La Mancha (Central Spain). This Iberian community is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities. At present, the exact numbers and location of the newly discovered population are being kept confidential, but the population is thought to be made up of both adults and cubs. Until the exact location is known, conservationists cannot confirm if this population is genetically distinct from the larger and more stable population of lynx found in Andujar (South). According to the most recent comprehensive survey prior to this discovery, there were about 100 adult Iberian lynx in two isolated breeding populations in southern Spain. The population is thought to have since risen to some 110 adults. The Iberian Lynx faces myriad threats - a lack of prey, accidental deaths from cars and trucks on Spanish roads, and new construction work destroying habitats. WWF is calling for all Lynx habitat to be covered by the EU's Natura 2000 Program, which offers the strongest level of protection in Europe, something that still hasn't happened despite years of petition. "We hope this discovery reinvigorates action in Spain to save the world's most endangered cat species. If Europe cannot take responsibility for Europe's 'tiger', then shame on us all," Suarez added. World Wildlife Fund |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Iberian Lynx Current Events and Iberian Lynx News Articles Proposal to reintroduce Iberian lynx on abandoned agricultural land Spanish scientists have developed a model to identify the agricultural areas with the greatest potential for restoring the habitat of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), which is at risk of extinction. Researchers document world's mammals in crisis From majestic African elephants to tiny and often unappreciated rodents, mammals on Earth are in a state of crisis. One in four mammal species on Earth is being pushed to extinction, according to the Global Mammal Assessment, the most comprehensive assessment of the world's mammals. Bovine tuberculosis in wildlife threatens endangered lynx and cattle health In an epidemiological survey of Spain's Doñana National Park, the findings of which are published on July 23 in the journal PLoS ONE, Christian Gortázar and colleagues studied the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) infection among populations of wild boar, red deer and fallow deer in the national park, which is located in southern Spain. More Iberian Lynx Current Events and Iberian Lynx News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||