Two more Iberian lynxes died in the last hours in Seville and Jaén

The Department of Sustainability and Environment of the Government of Andalusia confirmed this Monday the death of two lynx specimens in the last few hours, one in Marmolejo (Jaén) and another in Lora del Río (Seville), which are being performing autopsies to determine the cause of death. Ecologists in Action speak this Monday of a third death, also due to a run over, which would raise to 45 the number of lynxes run over since February, all deceased except two who survived the blow and were taken to Andalusian centers for the recovery of endangered species .

Sources from Catalina García’s department have confirmed the two dead lynxes after questions from Europa Press after Ecologistas en Acción warned of these events, which they attributed to accidents. The Board assures, however, that the causes will depend on the results of the aforementioned autopsies. Ecologists in Action warned of a third lynx that died in Villamanrique de la Condesa (Seville). The Board denies this death and assures that the specimen is in perfect condition.

The rate of deaths from run-overs “has decreased this year compared to the previous year.” Thus, in 2023, from January 1 to September 30, 50 deaths were recorded due to collisions, placing the annual rate as of September 30 at 6.6%. In 2024, in the same period, 34 accidents have been recorded, which sets the annual rate as of September 30 at 4.2%.

The last three lynxes killed after being run over were located on the A-6106 highway in La Carolina (Jaén); another in Doñana on the paved road from Villamanrique to Hato Ratón, in the province of Huelva, and the other in Sierra Morena on the A-305 highway from Porcuna to Arjona, in the province of Jaén. “The Department of Sustainability and Environment of the Government of Andalusia has been working to reduce unnatural mortality of the lynx, such as road kills and other causes. To this end, different measures have been implemented to reduce them in those points where there is more risk,” they said from the department of Catalina García, who recalled that “Andalusia has been a pioneer in the installation of a unique device to prevent animal accidents.” .

Prevention system

The collision prevention system called AVC-PS (Prevention of Animal-Vehicle Collisions) is made up of a set of infrared sensors and a thermal camera that records the presence of the animal which, when approaching, activates a warning signal for drivers, inviting them to brake at an acceptable speed. Simultaneously, a radar sensor measures whether the car is slowing down. If you do, the system stops acting; Otherwise, the radar sends a signal to the control unit and activates an acoustic device with the aim of scaring away the animals.

In relation to the conservation of the Iberian lynx, the Board has stressed that the measures adopted have had a “notable impact”. In the last census in 2023, more than 2,000 Iberian lynxes were counted in the wild, of which 755 are in Andalusia, the region with the highest number of specimens. This figure represents a growth of 20% compared to previous years, the Board has emphasized.

Lorca (Murcia) and Sierra Arana (Granada) are recent examples of spaces where lynxes have been released, restoring their presence in habitats from which they had disappeared more than 40 years ago. Furthermore, at the national level, eight populations have been consolidated, four of which function as functional metapopulations, that is, genetically connected populations that can exchange individuals with each other, which reduces the risk of inbreeding and favors genetic viability.

In 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has officially recognized the change in status of the Iberian lynx, which has gone from being “in danger of extinction” to being considered a “vulnerable” species. This change is significant, as it reflects that the lynx population has reached a viable number that reduces the immediate risk of extinction.

However, the Board has pointed out, “we cannot let our guard down. Although the lynx population has increased, the vulnerable status means there are still significant risks to the survival of the species. Habitat fragmentation, rabbit diseases and the threat of road kill continue to be factors that could negatively affect the species if conservation measures are not maintained and reinforced.”

“Identified” blackheads

For its part, Ecologists in Action publicly denounces for the umpteenth time that it is urgent and inevitable to act on the Andalusian road network to make the passage of fauna permeable and reinforce road safety and, thereby, reduce the main cause of unnatural death of the species, which are the accidents.

“The black spots have been perfectly identified for some time now and it has been proven that neither light and auditory signals for animals, nor traffic signals, nor even speed controls, improve road safety. It is necessary to focus on making the roads permeable, and invest, at least in these sections with a known high number of accidents, in the construction of elevated or underground wildlife crossings, depending on the characteristics of the road and the species to be protected,” he comments. the organization.

For this reason, Ecologistas en Acción has also addressed the competent European authorities to carry out an independent audit on the measures adopted to improve road safety and reduce wildlife accidents, especially within the framework of the European funds that are invest for the conservation of the Iberian lynx.