Susana Díaz inaugurates the Lynx Observatory in Doñana, which encompasses the 448 specimens in Andalusia

This facility will be used for both educational and tourism purposes, and will house specimens that are no longer suitable for breeding

The president of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Susana Díaz, inaugurated the Lynx Observatory in the Doñana National Park, which will have educational and tourism purposes, as well as contribute to the species’ recovery and house specimens that are no longer suitable for breeding.

Diaz stressed that this new facility, which had an investment of around 200,000 euros, responds to a "long-awaited and sought demand by many sectors: the district, the Almonte municipality, and all those who work to support the lynx. "

The Observatory will allow for educational centres – starting with the Doñana school in Almonte (Huelva) that visited today – to learn "how the lynx develops in its habitat".

Furthermore, Díaz stressed that the Observatory "will provide lynxes unsuitable for breeding with an environment where they can thrive and maintain their standardized habitat", and will become a tourist attraction in Doñana.

In Andalusia alone, the lynx population has gone from 94 specimens in 2002 to 448 according to the latest census, adding to another 145 in the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, which illustrates the "importance of the internationally recognized work” for the species’ recovery, , as the president explained, one that “absolutely respects the environment".

As the number of specimens grows, the lynx's expansion radius also increases and "we must reconsider the aspects where intervention is required, such as the motorway network" to prevent collisions, said Díaz, who recalled the recent agreement between the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport to act on state-owned roads.

Gas storage
On the other hand, Susana Diaz trusted the central government to "listen" to the Regional Government of Andalusia and prevent the gas storage project in the Doñana National Park from being "chopped up" in order to "try and circumvent legislation."

Díaz considered that the central Executive, who holds the "responsibility" of being competent in the matter of hydrocarbons, "must be sensible" and "observe" the CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) and the Geomining Institute reports warning of the project’s risks.

On behalf of the Andalusian Government, the president insisted, "we are going to do everything in our power to try to paralyze a project that endangers the green lungs of Andalusia, Spain and Europe." "We are doing our job and I hope that the Government does its job as soon as possible," said Susana Díaz, who pointed out that "I would not like to go to court, but rather that the Government of Spain acted in accordance with its competencies, as we do, and didn’t force us to resort to the courts; but to save Doñana, whatever it takes. "

Observatory data
The Doñana National Park’s Lynx Observatory will contribute to promote the species’ recovery program in the Iberian Peninsula, and raise social awareness on the importance of its conservation.

In addition to learning about the work done for the recovery of the species, this facility, located in El Acebuche (Almonte, Huelva), will allow for the close observation of two specimens from the captive breeding program, selected by the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Planning. These animals, a male named Eucalyptus and a female named Aura, are no longer suitable for breeding and or genetically contributing to the breeding program. It should be noted that it is not convenient to return these specimens to the wild, as they have spent most of their lives in captivity.

With the opening of this observatory, which involved an investment of close to 200,000 euros (192,500 euros), the Regional Government of Andalusia also intends to improve and expand offers for public use and environmental education in Doñana, especially in the Acebuche area, as well as contribute to the proper functioning of the species’ conservation program.

This centre is located in old disused premises for the observation of ungulates, which were adapted and improved to accommodate the two Iberian lynx specimens.

According to the latest census data, this endangered feline’s current population in Andalusia amounts to 448 specimens, of which 363 are located in Sierra Morena and 85 in the Doñana area, with a considerable increase in the number of cubs in the wild (125) as well as territorial females (109).

By adding the entire Andalusian population to the information provided by the reintroduction areas created in Portugal, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha through the Life+Iberlince project, the total number of specimens in the Iberian Peninsula is 593, a figure that must be further developed by working for the consolidation of new reintroduction areas, increasing the connection between different areas, and improving wild rabbit populations.

These data confirm the positive evolution of this feline’s populations, which have gone from 94 specimens in 2002 and only present in Andalusia, to 593 across the entire Peninsula.

It should be noted that the Life+Iberlince project, coordinated and led by the Regional Government’s Ministry of Environment and Territorial Planning, is continuing the work carried out in recent years in Andalusia to promote the species’ recovery, and has been recognized by the European Union on numerous occasions. As an example, the project for the Conservation and Reintroduction of the Iberian Lynx in Andalusia was chosen as the best initiative implemented in Europe in the 25 years of the Life project‘s existence, within the Nature and Biodiversity category. A feat that has come to endorse conservation policies pertaining to endangered species and biodiversity developed by the Regional Government, in addition to acknowledging the work carried out by specialists in this area.

Source: www.juntadeandalucia.es