Conservation actions see Iberian lynx claw back from brink of extinction
by Johan Augustin on 12 March 2021
By 2002, the Iberian lynx was extinct in its native Portugal and down to fewer than 100 animals in Spain, well on track to becoming the first cat species to go extinct since the saber-toothed tiger 12,000 years ago.
But a battery of conservation measures targeting the wide range of threats to the species has seen it bounce back from the brink, with a wild population today of around 1,000.
Reintroduction of captive-bred lynx has been complemented by rewilding of historical lynx ranges, along with boosting of prey species and the creation of wildlife corridors and highway tunnels to reduce deaths from road collisions.
World Wildlife Day 2021: Forests And Livelihoods - Sustaining People And Planet
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This big cat was once native to Scotland: Could rewilding bring it home? Africanews 03/02/2021 © Getty via Canva A group of three charities is consulting the public about the reintroduction of the Eurasian Lynx.
The Eurasian lynx is thought to have died out in the UK around 500 years ago. They are technically native to the island, but through hunting and habitat loss their numbers declined until eventually they were gone, seemingly forever.
The lynx could soon make a comeback, however, as three Scottish wildlife charities are looking to reintroduce the big cat to parts of the Cairngorms and Argyll.
Lynx are the third largest predators in Europe after the brown bear and the wolf. They are a keystone species which means even small populations of this big cat can have a massive impact on the environment around them. Their ability to keep wild deer under control, so that woodlands can grow, is of particular interest to ecologists in Scotland.
New rewilding project teaches tour guides to offer fresh look at travel Sophie Yeo
Tour guides across the world are being taught about rewilding as part of a new training programme that aims to create economic opportunities within wilder landscapes.
The training is run by not-for-profit organisation Rewilding Europe, which is working to return nature to a wilder state across eight regions of Europe by removing human management and reintroducing certain species. This vision includes rejuvenating the tourism industry by attracting visitors to remote areas, such as the southern Carpathians in Romania or the Velebit mountains on the Croatian coast, with the possibility of encountering wild animals including lynx and wolves – and creating jobs within local communities.
From dolphins to rewilding: 11 environment-friendly holidays for 2021 Jane Dunford
Rewilding centres
The idea of rewilding – moving away from current forestry and agricultural techniques and allowing nature to thrive – is gaining ground.
One exciting new project is Wild Ken Hill in north Norfolk, where alongside pioneering regenerative farming and traditional conservation practices, a 400-hectare (1,000-acre) area is being returned to the wild, with the reintroduction of beavers, Exmoor ponies and old farm breeds like red poll cattle and Tamworth pigs. Visitors can already access Wild Ken Hill via public footpaths, but from April (hopefully) there will be a choice of 15 guided tours on offer (from £30), ranging from introductions to rewilding to nature-by-night walks and butterfly-spotting hunts. There are plans to allow camping later this year and for a glampsite to be up and running by 2022 (the Rose and Crown in Snettisham is a good base in the meantime,
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