AN IBERIAN Lynx has been born in the Pyrénées for the first time in over a century – hugely positive news for this highly-endangered species, reports the La Pedrera Catalunya Foundation.
Although the cub came into the world on May 28, the Foundation – which runs the MónNatura Pirineus animal recovery centre in Son (Lleida province) – has only just announced his birth as they wanted to be sure he would survive before doing so.
But the lynx, as yet unnamed, is said to be in excellent health.
He is the son of two Iberian Lynx who have been at the centre for the past 11 years.
Whilst the birth was not in the wild, the MónNatura shelter is open-air and animals roam in habitats as close as possible to their natural stamping grounds.
And even via controlled reproduction programmes, no Iberian Lynx has been born on the Spanish side of the French border mountains since the turn of the 20th century.
Territory and environment director for the Foundation, Miquel Rafa, says the cub’s birth will help the centre to ‘reinforce its education in nature’ which it offers to visitors and school groups.
Photograph: The Pyrénées’ first Iberian Lynx cub in more than a century, taken by the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera
