Yahoo TV

The Iberian lynx is back from the brink of extinction

Location: Donana, Spain

The population rose above 1,000 in Spain and Portugal last year

after 414 cubs were born under a joint breeding program

Source: Spanish Ministry of Environment

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CONSERVATION COORDINATOR OF WWF SPAIN LUIS SUAREZ SAYING:

This is very good news, especially considering that 20 years ago we started from a population of less than 100 specimens cornered in two territories. It means that it is growing, expanding and meeting the conservation objectives."

The initiative was launched in 2002 when the number of Iberian lynx plunged

to just 94 in Spain and zero in Portugal

due to farming, poaching and road accidents

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CONSERVATION COORDINATOR OF WWF SPAIN LUIS SUAREZ SAYING:

"It is very important that we have a large number of breeding females, this year we have exceeded 230 breeding females. It is fundamental because they are the ones that rule the territory, the ones that mark the future of the population, the ones that reproduce and breed. The objective is to continue increasing these reproductive females, to reach 750 to consider that the population is completely out of any risk, because we must remember that the lynx is a species that is in danger of extinction."