The Iberian Lynx above was reintroduced to the wild in Villafranca de Cordoba, Spain, in 2009.
These intense efforts to save one of the rarest cats on Earth might be for naught in 50 years, when the projected dramatic temperature increases will become a reality.
The Iberian Lynx is quite different from other lynx species, as diverse as they can be. It can reach a length of about 3.25 feet and weigh up to 33 pounds. Its eyes are a light amber with its telltale tufted ears and cheeks.
The problem is that the lynx, as a large feline, needs an incredible range to survive. And its habitat in densely populated Spain has already dwindled from 15,600 square miles to 1,200 square miles, less than 10% what it enjoyed a few decades ago. That harrowing change promises to wipe out its main food source, the wild hare and rabbit. Poaching too decreases its chances at survival.
The Lynx furthermore is a slow adapter, and the drastic change that is predicted will not allow it to find a new source of food.
Conservation strategies could be implemented in time to mitigate the effect of the rising levels of CO2. Dozens of Lynxes bred in captivity could be released in the wild to stave off its demise.
The best option, subsequently would be to place the remaining specimens in high grade habitat, where their chances of survival are the greatest. This at least could buy the beleaguered cat a few more decades.
Source : France 24/7.21.13
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