The Life+Iberlince project organizes informative seminars with journalists in the Guarrizas reintroduction area

They will participate in the release of two Iberian lynx specimens and learn onsite about actions carried by the project out in the area

The Life+Iberlince project 'Recovery of the historical distribution of the Iberian lynx in Spain and Portugal', through the Autonomous Organization of National Parks (OAPN) as a beneficiary partner of the European project, holds informative seminars with a group of journalists from well-known national and international networks with the goal of introducing these professionals to actions carried out by Iberlince in the Guarrizas valley reintroduction area (Jaén).

On the first day, participants attended a talk with Life+Iberlince project director, Miguel Ángel Simón, who analysed the latest Iberian lynx population census results, the species’ main threats at present, and future actions aimed at ensuring the connection between the Peninsula’s populations in different reintroduction areas. After the talk, a debate took place in which attendees were able to share their views with the director, as well as with some of the specialists working in the area.

Today, the journalists are scheduled to participate in the first release of two Iberian lynx specimens in Andalusia this season, 'Ofelia' and 'OIavide', two females from the Silves captive breeding centre (Portugal). This way, they will be able to narrate and share with their audience the moment an Iberian lynx was released into the wild.

Over the course of these two days, the journalists visited several estates collaborating with the Life+Iberlince project, such as 'El Adicío', the first of the estates to sign a collaboration agreement with Iberlince, allowing for specimen reintroduction and habitat improvement actions in the area. And 'Encina Alta', where one can witness activities such as pruning, and the building of fences and refuges for wild rabbits. In 'Las Caras' and 'Hortalanca', further collaborating estates, Iberlince project specialists will show how the monitoring of the radiolabeled Iberian lynx population is done. Also in the 'Dehesa de las Yeguas' public forest.

In the Guarrizas reintroduction area, the Life+Iberlince project has signed a total of 31 collaboration agreements, covering an area of 17,997 hectares. In this regard, it‘s worth mentioning that the participation of private property, through collaboration agreements, allows for actions that not only benefit the Iberian lynx, but also have an impact on the rest of the animal species inhabiting the area, thus demonstrating the need for the involvement of private partners in this project.