The Iberian lynx was once the world's most endangered felid — a remarkable recovery from 94 individuals to over 2,000 involved intensive welfare-focused captive breeding and reintroduction.
Iberian lynx welfare during recovery required intensive individual management. Captive breeding welfare protocols included enrichment, prey presentation simulation, and minimal human contact before reintroduction. Released animals required monitoring for signs of starvation when rabbit populations crashed. Road mortality causes acute trauma and eliminates breeding-age adults. Wildlife underpasses and road fencing have measurably reduced road kill mortality at key crossing points.