Iberian Lynx is almost extinct!

It is not just in other parts of the world that species are almost under extinction. The danger exists in Portugal. One example is the Iberian Lynx, which has been disappearing from the Portuguese landscape in past years.
As a result of habitat loss and lack of its main prey, the European rabbit. The Iberian Lynx has an extremely fragmented distribution throughout its remaining natural range in Portugal and Spain. The Lynx population of Portugal constitutes less than 10% of the total species distribution, favouring certain highlands and some portions of the central and southern plains. Some of the Portuguese elements consist of peripheral populations travelling from western Spain. There have been reports of Lynx spoted in different regions and a remaining of individuals may still survive in their previous geographic distribution. In total, there may not be more than 50 individuals in all of Portugal. Recent population study puts the entire population between 1,000 to 1,200 Lynxes, with about half being adult individuals.
The main populations of Iberian Lynx in Portugal occur in four regions.
ALGARVE
Algarve is the most southern region of Portugal bordered by a coastline of sandy beaches and rugged cliffs meeting the sea, the Guadiana river to the east and the Espinhaço de Cão, Monchique and Caldeirão mountain ranges to the north. Occurrence of the felid has most likely been restricted during the past 40 years to the Espinhaço de Cão, Monchique and Caldeirão mountain range. Here, the Iberian Lynx occupies about 650 Km2, representing the largest area of occurrence in Portugal despite a high degree of fragmented habitat. Sections of favourable habitat are still connected by corridors and the existance of five main nuclei have been verified. It is estimated this area constitutes a declining population of about 20-25 Lynxes but there are indications of reproduction zones to the west and east. Primary threats are the lack of European rabbits, deforestation and scrub or forest fires in summer. In Portugal the Lynx is known by a different name dependent on the dialect native to the region. In the Algarve, the species was orginally called "gato-cravo", "gato-lince" and "liberne".
BARRANCOS
The lack of current information regarding this population suggests a possible decline in the area. Some Lynxes will be associated with the existing population in the disputed Forest Perimeter with Spain. This nuclei appears to be isolated from other populations in Portugal but is contiguous with the Spanish population of the Serra Morena Range (Brown Mountains) in western Spain, constituting about 53 individuals. Intense human activity provides short opportunity for the Lynx to expand their range. The Lynx is popularly called "gato-cravo" in this region.
SERRA DA MALCATA
Serra da Malcata considered as nature reserve. The Malcata Mountain Range is located in central Portugal bordering Spain to the east. The Lynx has been well studied in this region during the last 20 years, documenting the population decline to about 5-8 Lynxes in the 127 Km2 area by 1990-1992. In the last three years the decline was accented by the continued decline of it's principal prey, the European rabbit, due to intensified exposure to certain illnesses, as well as destruction and degradation of habitat. Human encroachment of reproduction zones has proved the greatest impact. It is difficult to asses the current population estimate in Malcata, but the situation must be critical. The population appears to be severely isolated from other Portuguese nuclei, but may still be in contact with about 58 individuals that occupy a vast area of the Spanish Gata e Béjar mountain ranges. In the central region, such as in the Alentejano northeast, the felid is known by the name "lobo-cerval".
VALE DO SADO
Centrally located coastal region along the Atlantic that houses a small, dispersed population of Lynx remnants of a larger population that was once linked to the main Algarve population through the Tejo and Sado basins until the middle of this century. Their current isolation is a precarious situation resulting from large changes of habitat over the past 50 years, and great incidences of human caused mortality during the 50s, 60s and 70s. However, a small number of fragmented individuals still occur in areas containing favourable shrub habitat. "Liberne" is the native name of the Iberian lynx in this region, and its image still exists in the memory of aged people.

Source & Image:
http://lynx.uio.no