The Iberian lynx was once the world's most endangered cat species. Intensive conservation efforts have driven a remarkable population recovery, though ongoing challenges threaten long-term survival.
Iberian lynx welfare intersects closely with prey availability and habitat connectivity. The collapse of wild rabbit populations through myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease cascades into lynx starvation — documented cases show emaciated lynx during rabbit scarcity years. Road deaths cause significant suffering in animals that may be injured but not killed instantly. Captive breeding animals require environments that maintain hunting instincts essential for post-release survival. Reintroduced animals face stress from GPS collar monitoring, necessary for population management but physically and behaviorally intrusive. Climate change threatens both lynx habitat and rabbit populations — drier conditions projected for the Iberian Peninsula may compress viable lynx range further even as numbers recover.