🐾 LandCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: High — restricted in many states
Iberian lynx
Lynx pardinus
The Iberian lynx is a spotted wild cat of the Iberian Peninsula and a major conservation success: once the most endangered cat in the world, intensive breeding and habitat work have lifted it from the brink. It remains protected and is never a pet.
Educational only. KinStation content is reviewed by licensed veterinarians but cannot replace an in-person exam. Always consult a licensed veterinarian or board-certified specialist for diagnosis, treatment, or any decision affecting your pet's health.
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Quick facts
| Size | Medium wild cat ~85-110 cm body, tufted ears, spotted coat. |
| Lifespan | 12–15 years |
| Native region | Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) |
| Climate | 🍂 Temperate |
| Genus | Lynx |
Habitat & enclosure
Depends on Mediterranean scrubland and woodland mosaics that support its primary prey, the European rabbit. Rabbit disease crashes, habitat loss, and road mortality drove its near-collapse. Captive breeding, rabbit-population management, and reintroductions have since multiplied its numbers. It is strictly protected; this profile is conservation/education only.
Diet
An extreme specialist preying overwhelmingly on European rabbits, which makes it acutely vulnerable when rabbit populations crash from disease. Restoring rabbit numbers is therefore central to its recovery.
Behavior & temperament
Solitary and territorial, it hunts at dawn and dusk across well-defined ranges. Its turnaround — from a few hundred individuals to a far larger, expanding population — is one of the most cited recoveries in modern carnivore conservation.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — conservation profile (pending DVM/biologist review)