Andalusia regional government invests one million Euros on Andalusia roads to reduce the risk of Iberian Lynx run over

The advisors for the Promoting and Housing and for the Environment and regional planning of Andalusia Government, signed last Tuesday, 9th of September, a collaboration agreement to reduce the risk of wild fauna run over, on Andalusia roads, that counts with an investment of one million Euros which will be operative up to March 2017.

The investments foreseen under the Protocol shall be allocated in the budget of the advisors for the Promoting and Housing, in particular on the program “Road and Transport Infrastructures Mobility”, co financed by European funds, has already been mentioned by Andalusia Government.

This new work Protocol, which will take place in accordance with the main plans of LiFE European project to the “ Historical Recovery distribution of Iberian Lynx”, which has its beginning after the lasts Lynx run over’s on Andalusia Region. In all cases, these accidents are connected to the lynx population increase, from 92 specimens on 2002, to 332 on 2014, and consequently increased area by this specimen presence. Furthermore, the new strain of rabbit hemorrhagic disease has made the lynx to disperse more and their approach to transport routes.

Since the change of the lynx natural habitat, the advisors for the Promoting and Environment, have agreed to act on the areas with more numbers of run over’s, developing selective solutions which will be determine in relation with the analyses and studies that are being held by technicians and responsible of both departments. Thereby, during the summer several field visits have been made which define new actions on Andalusia roads.

LIFE+Iberlince project includes the development of actions that could minimize the risk of accidents and run over’s, facilitating and restoring, on those possible areas the connectivity between populations and future expanding zones. Run over’s control of wild fauna, not only it is an important conservation measure, as support road safety. These measures shall be carried out without affecting or hinder the communication between populations and cities where Iberian lynx coexist.

With the signature of the protocol, which has a Monitoring Committee with two representatives of both Department, reinforced the works undertaken so far in order to reduce the mortality by run over of Iberian lynx specimen on Andalusia roads, in particular on Doñana-Aljarafe region.