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© Iberian Lynx Exsitu Conservation Programme

There are about 9500 lynx in Europe. Get to know the Iberian and Eurasian lynx that live in our continent and the challenges they are facing.



These beautiful and elusive wild cats with tufted ears are protected by the EU Nature Directives, but poaching and the destruction of their habitats remain a cause of concern in many areas. Join us to defend the lynx!

© Iberian Lynx Ex-situ conservation programme / WWF

Iberian lynx


My common name: Iberian Lynx, Pardel Lynx, Spanish Lynx

My latin name: Lynx pardinus

Population: I am the most endangered wild cat in the world with only 404 individuals left in Iberian Peninsula.

My address: I live in the Iberian Peninsula (south of Spain and Portugal), in the forest where I can hide and find the food I need. The cork oak forest is my favourite habitat.

My favourite food: I am a carnivore, and my favourite and almost exclusive prey is the rabbit. This selective diet makes me one of the best rabbit hunters.

My way of life: I am solitary, elusive and nocturnal and therefore I am rarely spotted by humans.

Life span: I can survive up to 17 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.

© Staffan Widstrand / WWF

Eurasian lynx


My common name: Eurasian lynx

My latin name: Lynx lynx

Population: Approximately 50,000 individuals.

My address: I have a wide range, extending across Europe and central Asia (I am present on the entire Tibetan plateau), Siberia and East Asia.

My favourite food: I eat small ungulates (hoofed mammals) such as roe deer, and smaller prey like hares.

My way of life: Like my Iberian cousin, I am solitary and secretive.

Life span: I can survive up to 17 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.

How many lynx are there in Europe? How can you tell one lynx from another? Learn more about this beautiful animal.
 

Find out more

Get to know the lynx through the eyes of people working with this endangered animal. Read interesting testimonies, stories and interviews.

Learn more

What are "eyespots" and how can they help identify individual animals? How good is the sight of this wild cat? Take the quiz and find out if you are a lynxpert.
 

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Photo Gallery
Lynx with kitten
Lynx are having their kittens, 2-3 usually, in February/March. This period is chosen for the small ones to grow strong during spring and summer before the next winter. © Hartmus Jungius / WWF
Iberian or Spanish lynx (Lynx pardinus).
The Iberian lynx is the world\'s most endangered cat. In 2002, there were fewer than 100 left in the wild. Now there are 404 in Spain. But their future is far from secure.
Lynx (lynx lynx), Italy
To avoid predators, a mother may carry its cubs between up to 12 different places.
Two lynx in the Carpathians.
Lynx is an umbrella species which means that its conservation indirectly implies the protection of its habitat, the Mediterranean forest, and of the less well known species that live inside it. .© Staffan Widstrand / WWF
Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx), captive female and kitten, Norway.
Eurasian lynx are mainly threatened by hunting and habitat loss. Although they have benefitted from the ban on legal international fur trade, illegal hunting still represents a major threat.

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