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Date Published: 19/06/2024

Lorca lynx shot to death by hunters

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Seven of the 18 lynxes reintroduced to the Lorca highlands since last year have died

What should have been a project full of hope for a threatened species has skirted the edge of disaster from day one, and tragedy has yet again struck the Life LynxConnect project in Lorca with news that yet another animal has been killed, this time at the hands of a hunter.

The lifeless body of lynx Ulea, reintroduced to the Lorca highlands in the spring of 2023, was discovered last month with one gunshot wound inflicted at close range. Now, the Guardia Civil have launched a hunt of their own to track down the culprits and bring them to justice.

This is the second lynx to die in Lorca from a shot by a poacher in less than a year, after the death of Tejo in August 2023.

The team in charge of monitoring the big cats in the Region of Murcia raised the alarm on April 9 when they could tell from Ulea’s GPS collar that he hadn’t moved for some time.

After locating his body, the post-mortem revealed that Ulea died from a close-range shot with a cartridge shotgun.

The president of the Lorca hunters’ association, Víctor Ortín, wanted to separate the federated hunters from this horrific event, pointing out that it is surely the work of a poacher rather than one of his members. In any case, the authorities are interviewing all the local hunters who are registered as owning the same kind of weapon that discharged the kill shot.

This latest incident highlights a major problem with poaching in the Region, according to the environmental organisations WWF Spain and ANSE, which have asked the regional government for urgent measures to ensure the success of the vital lynx reintroduction programme.

Sadly, of the 18 animals released into the Highlands to date, seven have died: two were run over by cars, two have been killed by hunters and one is still missing, presumed to be another victim of illegal hunting. The last died of natural causes.

The death rate due to poaching has skyrocketed in Murcia from 5% to 11% or even 16%, if the latest death is confirmed as illegal hunting.

The fact that the reintroduced lynxes wear geolocation collars is making it possible, says ANSE, to confirm a serious poaching problem.

WWF and Anse demand prompt action from the government; The first step is a meeting of the hunting and fishing advisory council to study scientifically based measures to protect wildlife, also increasing the number of environmental agents in lynx territory and a new regulation of closed seasons, among other measures.

Also of interest: Spain must triple the number of lynx to avoid extinction, according to experts

Image: CARM

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