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Date Published: 08/03/2023

Fourth Iberian lynx arrives at Lorca nature reserve from Portugal

Tejo has now joined his new mate and completes the first foursome to be introduced to the Lorca upper districts

The family is now complete: Tejo, the fourth Iberian lynx scheduled to arrive in the Murcia municipality, has been introduced to his new mate Torrealvilla and is settling in to a temporary enclosure in the upper districts of Lorca. Tejo travelled from a Life LynxConnect breeding centre in Portugal and for the next month or so will live next door to breeding pair Tiko and Tahúlla until all four are ready to be released into their wider habitat.

The first phase of the reintroduction of this threatened species to the Region of Murcia was completed with Tejo’s arrival on Monday March 6 and for the time being, they’ll be confined to large enclosures located between the Sierras del Gigante-Pericay, Lomas del Buitre-Río Luchena and Sierra de la Torrecilla.

Once they move to the wider terrain, two more young breeding pairs will take their place.

All four animals are being closely but discretely monitored (they’ll be tracked using GPS collars once they are fully released) and so far, Minister of the Environment, Juan María Vázquez, reports that the introductions have gone off without a hitch.

By the end of the summer the complicated process of settling this species in southeastern Spain will be well underway and the goal is for at least five breeding females to establish themselves in Lorca. In the long term, it’s hoped that this number will reach at least 15 females over the next decade.

Also of interest: Three high-capacity Lorca roads threaten the future lynx population

Image: CARM

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