A farmer finds three newborn lynx cubs

In Menasalbas, located in the municipality of Toledo, a farmer stumbled upon a remarkable discovery in one of his straw sheds – three newborn lynx cubs nestled amidst the bales.

Initially mistaking them for ordinary cats, he quickly realized their uniqueness and promptly alerted emergency services by dialing 112, as Alfonso Sanchez, the coordinator of Castilla-La Mancha’s environmental agents, recounts.

The shed, used to store reserve straw and seldom accessed, provided a serene sanctuary for the mother lynx to give birth undisturbed. Environmental and Seprona agents from the Guardia Civil confirmed the presence of the cubs in the straw bed and set up photo-trapping cameras, capturing moments of the mother tenderly caring for her offspring for a day and a half. However, the mother decided it was time to relocate her young ones, unaided by any tracking device.

Exciting news

Such occurrences are increasingly frequent as lynx populations rebound, yet they typically select sparsely inhabited areas for denning, despite the species’ expansion. In Castilla-La Mancha, lynxes thrive in three established reintroduction zones: Montes de Toledo, eastern Sierra Morena, and western Sierra Morena. Additionally, a nascent group is forming in Albacete province, where seven lynxes now roam, following the release of four specimens in February. The region now boasts a population nearing 700 individuals, including 300 cubs and 400 sub-adults.

One notable case is Odrina, a wild-born female lynx, who opted for an abandoned yet well-maintained shed on a sizable agricultural estate in Ciudad Real province, both for her birth and raising her own offspring. However, experts note that lynxes typically utilise hollow logs or rocky crevices for birthing purposes.

In a similar incident last year, another lynx chose a makeshift nesting spot inside a box within a farmhouse in the Matachel valley (Badajoz). The property owner stumbled upon four miniature lynx cubs nestled on a shelf amidst accumulated materials and clutter, initially mistaking them for domestic kittens. The imperative, as underscored by the environmental agents of Castilla-La Mancha, is to promptly inform authorities in such situations and avoid disturbing or approaching the young lynxes.