Background

The objective of LIFE-Nature, including the Lynx LIFE project, is to contribute to the application of the community directive regarding nature conservation to maintain and improve natural habitats and animal and/or plant species of community interest in the areas designated within the "Natura 2000" Network.

The "Natura 2000" Network is made up of a group of natural areas that was created to slow down the loss of biological richness and to combat the damage to natural resources in the European territory.

The Spanish network was formed in Spain in November 2006.

This was the first LIFE Project in Spain for lynx conservation in which autonomous communities where lynx are present participated. Those in charge of executing the project and the recipients of the financial support were: The Community of Madrid, Environmental Agency; The High Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Do–ana Biological Station; The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) -- Department of Rural Development and Nature Conservation; The local government of Andalusia, Environment Agency; The local government of Castile-Leon, Department of the Environment and Land Zoning; The government of the Communities of Castile La Mancha, Department of Agriculture and Environment and The local government of Extremadura, Department of the Environment.

The actions centered on monitoring and tracking the lynx's areas to improve knowledge about the lynx populations, their risks and threats. As well as controlling and preventing non natural mortality.

In late 1996, the "Living with the Lynx" Awareness Campaign and school drawing and essay contests were begun. A Student Notebook was designed, as wells as a leaflet geared toward hunters, posters, stickers and travelling bus exhibition.

Lynx LIFE Project "Recovering Iberian lynx populations (Lynx pardinus) in Andalusia," (2002-2006)

In 2002, the LIFE project "Recovering Iberian lynx populations in Andalusia" was approved. It was then estimated that there were fewer than 200 Iberian lynx in the world, distributed between two viable populations, one in Doñana (Huelva and Seville) and another in Sierra Morena (Cordoba and Jaen).

The Department of the Environment of the Governmet of Andalusia, as beneficiary of the LIFE Project, sponsored a series of initiatives that were geared toward recovering the natural habitat of the Iberian lynx, minimising deaths from non natural causes, and tracking and studying of the evolution of the lynx and rabbit populations.
Upon finalising this project, there was a 49% increase in the number of individuals and 25-32% in the number of territories, increasing the species range surface area by 73%. This development is directly related to all the actions to improve habitat, improve prey populations, to eliminate non natural causes of death, tracking, etc, implemented during the project, reflected in the increase in birth rate and reduction in non natural mortality of the species.

The following results had been obtained at the conclusion of the project:

- evolution of the population (No. of cubs per year)

Final conclusion: The species continues to be in a critical situation, with a sustained increase detected in the number of territories and cubs in the Andujar-Cardeña population, and stabilisation in the area of Doñana.

Lynx LIFE Project "Iberian Lynx Conservation Action Plan (Lynx pardina)" (1994-1999)