The Minister of Environment, Housing, and Land Planning of Castilla y León, Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones, and the Minister of Sustainable Development of Castilla-La Mancha, María Mercedes Gómez Rodríguez, have carried out the release of Venadillo, an Iberian lynx from this neighboring community, demonstrating solidarity and cooperation between administrations. This marks a milestone in the national strategy for the conservation of the Iberian lynx, allowing the translocation of cubs from high-density territories to new reintroduction areas and serving as a vital complement to the functioning of captive breeding centers. The Castilla y León Regional Government particularly appreciates the institutional collaboration of the government of Castilla-La Mancha, not only for this transfer but also for the support, collaboration, and advice of their technical teams, who have been working with the Castilla y León authorities from the outset to materialize this project in Palencia.
June 2, 2025
Castilla y León |
Ministry of Environment, Housing, and Land Planning
This morning, the Minister of Environment, Housing, and Land Planning of Castilla y León, Juan Carlos Suárez-Quiñones, and the Minister of Sustainable Development of Castilla-La Mancha, María Mercedes Gómez Rodríguez, accompanied by the responsible directors general for wild species of both administrations, carried out the release of Venadillo, a one-year-old Iberian lynx from the region of Castilla-La Mancha. This individual joins the six that have already been released in the first year of the project in Castilla y León.
This release represents a significant milestone in the national lynx conservation program, as it paves the way to reinforce new reintroduction areas, not only with the support of individuals from captive breeding centers but also through translocations from high-density territories of individuals or those at the limit of their ecological capacity, which would otherwise result in dispersal to other territories or suboptimal habitats with a high risk of death from collisions.
This translocation, supported by a national protocol approved last year within the framework of the Iberian lynx working group –dependent on the Flora Committee and coordinated by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge–, represents the first transfer of individuals between autonomous communities destined for new reintroduction areas and will allow an increase in the number of individuals released in this first year (two males and four females) in the reintroduction area of Cerrato Palentino, thus balancing the distribution of sexes among the released individuals.
Reintroduction project of the lynx in Castilla y León
After more than two years of work carried out by the Regional Government in the possible reintroduction territories, Cerrato Palentino was designated as the ideal location by the national working group that governs the reintroduction program. In that area, in the surroundings of the municipal terms of Astudillo, Villalaco, Torquemada, and Villamediana, among others, an abundance of rabbits of 57 latrines/km was described in the best 10,000 proposed hectares. On the other hand, the social assessment of the reintroduction in Palencia was very favorable, with 93% of respondents in favor of the project, having obtained support letters or agreement signatures from landowners or hunting ground owners in an area of 72% of the proposed area.
With the reintroduction of the species in Cerrato Palentino, a milestone is achieved in the recovery of the Iberian lynx in the Iberian Peninsula, being the first reintroduction area in the northern half of the peninsula, approximately half a century after the disappearance of the lynx from the Castilian plateau.
The six lynxes already reintroduced in Cerrato are consolidating their acclimation
As of today, the six lynxes released during these three months are in perfect condition and remain in the reintroduction area, with continuous monitoring by environmental agents and technicians assigned to the project confirming their proper acclimation to the area.
As previously reported, during this period, it is essential to avoid disturbances to the individuals, which could lead to their dispersal from the area. Therefore, the collaboration and responsibility of residents and users of the natural environment are requested to ensure, together, the success of this project and the establishment of a stable lynx population in Cerrato Palentino.
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