The two Iberian lynx that were released in a surrounded by soft loose on the last 17th December in Mértola, already live freely.
The moment marked the beginning of the reintroduction of the species in Portugal for the reversal of extinction situation in which were the cats. In the coming months, eight lynx should be delivered to their natural "habitat".
The couple of lynx, Kathmandu, Spanish male, and Rosewood, Portuguese and a female born at the National Center of the Iberian Lynx Reproduction in Silves now "are free to walk the land, scattering the place of acclimatization, situated on a private property and area of hunting tourism, says the National Association of Landowners Cinegetics and Biodiversity Management (ALCB), in a statement sent to Lusa agency.
ALCB welcomes the "historical moment" the "actual release in nature" of the first two Iberian lynx bred in captivity and released in Portugal, in connection with the reintroduction of the species in the country.According to this association, it is the "first two of several" Iberian lynx that "will be introduced in Portugal over the coming months," after they have been released in Spain "several dozen" of species of lynx.
The ALCB praises "the way the process has been being conducted" by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry (ICNF) and PNVG team with the involvement of several technicians and experts who follow the two lynx released in Mértola and are "looking for a territory to settle."
"There is still hope that the female may have gotten pregnant during the acclimation period, which coincided with the beginning of the breeding season, and the first litter of born lynx in Portugal in nature, after several decades without any confirmed registration can be within reach, "said the ALCB.
