The Iberian lynx : extinction or recovery ?

This publication describes the very urgent situation regarding the Iberian Lynx. Its position on IUCN's red list as critically endangered indicates that the chances of extinction are quite real. Extinction of the lynx would mean the fist extinction of a big cat in Europe since the disappearance of the Sabre-toothed tiger approximately 10.000 years ago. Many of the dangers the lynxes are confronted with have a close relation to human activities (infrastructural developments, traffic and expanding agriculture). The remaining population is concentrated in two very small areas, greatly increasing the vulnerability of the population. On top of this, climate change appears to have definite consequences for the Iberian peninsula. The expected hotter and dryer summers in the very near future with increasing incidences of forest fires and possibly less prey for the lynxes will make their position even more vulnerable.