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Iberian lynx comeback continues as 31 kittens born in Spanish breeding centres
The species was once on the brink of extinction but is now expanding into new areas of Spain
Just over 20 years ago, the Iberian lynx was on the brink of extinction, with fewer than 100 animals left in the wild across the Iberian Peninsula.
Today, the picture looks very different.
Spain’s 2026 breeding season has ended with the birth of 31 Iberian lynx kittens at two major conservation centres in Huelva and Cáceres, marking another milestone in one of Europe’s most successful wildlife recovery programmes.
The species, once classified as “critically endangered”, had been pushed to the edge by habitat loss, dwindling rabbit populations and the isolation of its last remaining groups in Andalucía.
Since the recovery programme began in 2003, breeding centres have played a crucial role in rebuilding lynx numbers and preserving genetic diversity. More than 300 kittens have now been born through the programme, with many later released into the wild in Spain and Portugal.
The latest births included 16 kittens at the El Acebuche breeding centre in Huelva and another 15 at Zarza de Granadilla in Cáceres. One female, named Taza, gave birth to a litter of four kittens, the largest recorded this season.The recovery is now spreading well beyond the species’ traditional strongholds. Iberian lynxes are gradually returning to areas where they disappeared decades ago, including parts of Aragón and Castilla y León.
The Region of Murcia is also playing a role in the species’ comeback. In recent years, reintroduction and monitoring projects have been developing in the Lorca highlands and surrounding mountain areas, considered suitable habitat for future lynx populations thanks to their rural landscapes and rabbit numbers.
Conservation teams will continue closely monitoring the newborn kittens over the coming weeks, as the first months of life remain a delicate stage.Still, the fact that the Iberian lynx is now expanding again across Spain would have seemed almost impossible not long ago.
Images: Miteco
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