The Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) announced in a statement that the 35 lynxes were captured between September 29 and December 9 in the Guadiana Valley area, in the municipalities of Serpa and Mértola.

This type of campaign, according to the ICNF, aims to "collect rigorous health information" and understand "the state of the population of these animals living freely in Portugal".

"Each captured specimen is identified, photographed, examined, vaccinated, and samples are collected for biological analysis and genotyping, [and] whenever possible, the animal is fitted with a transmitter collar," the statement said.

The collar "helps detect early signs of physical problems," and allows for "monitoring behaviours and movements that enable mapping real risks in the field" and identifying "more dangerous stretches of road, where the speed of cars and the natural curiosity of lynxes form a lethal combination, a threat that can only be faced with accurate data and quick action," said the ICNF (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests).

In this campaign, in the eight areas explored, nine of the 35 animals captured were "still juveniles," and transmitter collars were placed on 22 individuals.

At the end of the work, which involved technicians, nature wardens, and forest agents, the animals were released into their natural habitat.

“Record”

According to the ICNF (Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests), the number of animals captured was a "record" since these efforts began in 2018.

This was the last campaign integrated into the LIFE Lynxconnect project, a joint initiative of Spain and Portugal, which has been reshaping the species' survival map.

The Iberian lynx recovery and conservation project initially involved captive breeding, with the first animals released into the wild in 2011.

According to the latest Iberian Lynx Census, in 2024, the species surpassed the 2,400 mark, with 2,401 lynxes counted between Spain (2,047) and Portugal (354), of which 1,557 are adults or subadults and 844 are cubs born in the wild.

In 2024, the species was removed from the "Endangered" category and reclassified as "Vulnerable" on the Red List of Threatened Species.

"This recovery constitutes one of the best examples of conservation actions for threatened species in the world, thanks to the continued efforts of the competent public administrations, interested sectoral entities, owners and managers of private estates and society in general, and the European Union, through the LIFE program," the institute added.