The Iberian lynx is a conservation success story, recovering from fewer than 100 individuals to over 1,000 through intensive breeding programs and reintroduction efforts.
The Iberian lynx recovery illustrates how intensive conservation combining captive breeding, habitat management, and prey restoration can achieve remarkable welfare and population outcomes. However, reintroduced individuals face adjustment challenges including territorial establishment, road mortality risk, and dietary competition. Ongoing monitoring of individual animals allows welfare-relevant interventions like collar removal and habitat corridor improvements.