Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco's Image

Andrés Luis Dominguez Blanco (Spain) shows an Iberian lynx surveying the valley from a rosemary-covered hillside.

Spain’s Sierra de Andújar is one of the last strongholds of this endangered cat. The photo was taken in December at the start of the Iberian lynx’s mating season. During this period, males can be seen patrolling the territories of females in the hope of finding a partner.

The lynx had emerged from the undergrowth and passed close by to Andrés, seemingly unfazed by his presence. ‘More than once he looked me in the eyes and continued on his way very calmly,’ remarked Andrés, who’d become familiar with this particular male. He’d come to know its habits well and noticed that at mating times it often followed a specific female.

In 2002, there were fewer than 100 lynx left in this part of Spain. Conservation efforts boosted the population to more than 1,000 in 2020, and numbers continue to rise. As a result of the increasing population size, the Iberian lynx is no longer classed as Critically Endangered, however, it is still listed as Endangered.