(Last hour) Mértola: Iberian lynx of Bitch Opal found dead in the Guadiana Valley.
The Iberian lynx female Opal, who had been released there 10 months, He was found dead on 09 this month in Guadiana Valley Natural Park (PNVG), Alentejo in the municipality of Mértola, it was announced today.
Na statement sent to Lusa, the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) explains that its monitoring team “detected the dead animal, in an advanced state of decomposition, through the VHF signal of the station's radio collar”.
The causes of death of Opal “They are still unknown”, but they are being investigated by the GNR, who made a survey of the case and the collection of samples, refers to ICNF.
The young female Opal was born in 2017, the Reproduction Center of La Olivilla, Andalusia region, Spain, been released and the 15 March 2018, in Corte Gafo zone, in the Mértola municipality, district of Beja, the population core Iberian in Lynx PNVG.
According to ICNF, Opal had been detected for the last time in September 2018, appearing to have established a territory in the area where he was found dead.
Opal is the second copy of the Iberian lynx released in PNVG and found dead this year in the county Mértola, after the male Mistral have been found dead on 02 Of this month, the National Road 122, signals with trampling.
With the death of Opal, the survival rate of the Iberian lynx copies reintroduced in Portugal “It is set at 72%”, refers to ICNF.
Currently, You need the institute, the PNVG has 11 breeding females and territorial 45 Iberian lynx cubs have born in the wild.
The core population of Iberian lynx PNVG is monitored by tracking telemetry and also photo-trapping, allowing the individual identification of all copies.
The reintroduction of the Iberian lynx in Portugal began in 2015 under the project LIFE Iberlince, whose goal is the recovery of the historical range of the species.
“It is expected to achieve a harmonious coexistence of sustainable human activities and viability of wildcat, long-term, one of the most threatened in the world”, refers to ICNF.
