Photo Month feature: The elusive Iberian lynx

About Photography Month

The month of May is Photo Month – dedicated to celebrating the invention of photography. Interestingly, the earliest surviving photo of nature was taken in 1827 by the French inventor Nicéphore Niépce. At that time, it took days of exposure for a photo to be ready. Thankfully it doesn’t take long anymore, especially with digital technology.

For #PhotoMonth, I’d like to share one of my photos of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) from Madrid Zoo.

The Iberian lynx

The Iberian lynx is a wild cat species native to the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe that is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Solitary and territorial in nature, they prey almost exclusively on the European rabbit. Destruction of their prey base, along with habitat loss, are some of the largest threats the Iberian lynx faces. At one point, they were considered to be the most endangered feline species in the world, but the conservation effort taken to prevent their extinction has paid off. From a shrinking population of less than 100 individuals in 2002, there are now between 404 – 547 cats living in the wild. According to ZIMS, there are 12 Iberian lynx held by Species360 members, including three born in the last year.

About Alex Kantorovich

Alex Kantorovich is the Species360 Regional Coordinator for EARAZA (Eurasian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquariums). In his role as Regional Coordinator, he works closely with the EARAZA Executive Office to deliver ZIMS animal management training and support to institutions across the region. He is fluent in Russian and brings over a decade of zoological collection planning and management experience working as a zookeeper. He also serves as curator of Hai Park Kiryat Motzkin and ZIMS administrator at both Hai Park and Haifa Zoo, Israel. His favorite hobby is his work. He likes everything connected to zoos – visiting zoos, photographing in zoos, and managing his website about zoos he has visited www.zooinstitutes.com. His favorite animal is the rhinoceros (all species of rhino).