Malabar, Marchés, Moraima and Mosquito: four new lynx reintroduced in Castilla-La Mancha

Malabar, Marchés, Moraima and Mosquito are the names of the four new Iberian lynx that have been released today by the Life+Iberlince Project in the two areas to reintroduce the species in Castilla-La Mancha.

With the release of these four copies, which bind to Mirabel and Medellin, released last week, the Life+Iberlince Project continues the work on the release of the Iberian lynx in the eastern Sierra Morena and Montes de Toledo, territories where for years they have been working with the aim of consolidating the presence of the species.

In Montes de Toledo, it has been released the males Malabar and Marchés, the first one born in captive breeding center in Zarza de Granadilla Caceres and the second, born in the captive breeding center in Silves (Portugal).

In Sierra Morena Oriental, in the province of Ciudad Real, it has been released Moraima, a female born at the Center for Captive Breeding of Zarza de Granadilla, and a male, Mosquito, born at the Center for Captive Breeding of 'El Acebuche' of Huelva.

These four new Iberian lynx released are part of the 19 that are scheduled to be released this year in these areas to reintroduce the species, whose habitat meeting the requirements to ensure the survival of a viable population conditions.

Montes de Toledo is scheduled to release a total of 10 specimens, while in Sierra Morena Oriental they will release nine. They will join the rest of copies that wander nowadays by Castilla-La Mancha.

The Life+Iberlince Project, which has 19 partners and is managed in Castilla-La Mancha by the Community Board, Aproca, Fomecam and WWF continues thus working towards its goal of getting a number of lynx and a sufficient number of populations ensure the survival of a species that was on the verge of extinction.

The project has set itself the challenge to increase the number of copies to, at least, 70 territorial females in Sierra Morena (50 in Andújar, 10 and 10 in Guarrizas Guadalmellato) and 25 in Doñana-Aljarafe and establish five new areas of reintroduction in Portugal, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Murcia and Andalusia, enough to achieve self-sustaining populations of Iberian lynx capacity.

Therefore, considered basic to achieve a rate-setting examples of not less than 50% of individuals released and get into the second year of fixing release at least 33% of the reintroduced females.