Iberian lynx killed in road accident in Spain’s Huelva prompting calls for more protection

Iberian lynx killed in road accident in Spain’s Huelva prompting calls for more protection for the endangered species.

THE lynx was reportedly involved in a fatal ‘hit-and-run’ today, Thursday, April 15, on a road that runs between Huelva and the coastal town of Mazagon.

Ecologists in Action, which confirmed the adult female Erodia belonged to the Doñana-Aljarafe population, is now calling for more to be done to prevent accidents of this kind.

The animal’s corpse has been transferred to the Centre for Analysis and Diagnosis of Wildlife (CAD) of the Junta de Andalucia, where a necropsy will be performed.

Ecologists in Action said it is saddened by the latest death of a lynx and warned incidents such as these show that “events on roads slow down the recovery of the lynx species.”

The group has also criticised the “passive attitude” of the different administrations in the face of this reality, considering that “they do very little to prevent it.”

“The EU should be more forceful on this issue,” said Ecologists in Action, as reported by Nius.

The Iberian Lynx is a wild cat species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Back in January, the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda announced that three new underpasses will be built on the N-420 road through the Cardeña-Montoro Natural Park, in Cordoba to protect the endangered Iberian Lynx.

Two and a half metre wide areas of woodland will be cleared on either side of the road along the 12 kilometres as a safety zone.

Retro-reflectors will be placed on the vertical signage as optical deterrents to alert animals of vehicle lights in the dark, and new signs will be put in place to warn drivers about lynx crossing.

The work is part of the ‘Life Lynx Connect’ Project, which tries to connect the two populations of this endangered species in Andalucia, from Doñana and the Eastern Sierra Morena area, where a male of the species was released by the Junta de Andalucia in December.