The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) and the Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) are two native predators of the Iberian Peninsula. Despite being different species, they both play important and complementary roles in maintaining the ecological balance of a region.

Both species are top predators in the food chain, helping to keep the population of other animals in balance, reduce the spread of disease and preserve biodiversity in Iberian ecosystems. While the Iberian lynx focuses on small, more specific prey (rabbits and hares), the Iberian wolf preys on larger prey (wild ungulates such as roe deer, deer and wild boar), taking on complementary roles in maintaining biodiversity and the integrity of the habitats in which they live. In the case of the Iberian wolf, it also plays an important role in maintaining the structure of the ecosystem, as its presence can influence the distribution and behaviour of other species. On the other hand, the presence of the Iberian lynx can serve as an indicator of the health of the ecosystem, given that it is a species that requires an abundance of prey and specific habitats.

Despite the ecosystem role that both species play, they face various threats that put them in danger of extinction. The main threats are due to habitat loss, decline or scarcity of prey and illegal hunting.

The Iberian lynx and the Iberian wolf have had a long historical presence in the Iberian ecosystem, forming part of the Peninsula's natural history as native species for millennia.

The Iberian wolf is a subspecies of the European grey wolf and has been present on the Iberian Peninsula for hundreds of thousands of years, where it historically occupied a large part of the Iberian territory, from the northern mountains to the central and southern regions of the Peninsula. Its geographical distribution covered a wide variety of habitats, from forests and mountains to more open and rural areas. During the Middle Ages, the wolf was seen as a threat to livestock farms and people's safety, which led to intense persecution. At the beginning of the 20th century wolves were present throughout Portuguese territory, however, since the 1970s their numbers have been declining, mainly due to human activities, fragmentation and degradation of their habitat and a reduction in the amount of wild prey, following a similar trend in Spain and throughout Europe. Since 1989 it has been declared a protected species by law in Portugal and is currently listed as a "Near Threatened" species on the IUCN Red List.

Although it has come to be considered the world's most endangered feline, the Iberian lynx historically had a wide distribution across the Iberian Peninsula, occupying a variety of habitats that also covered a large part of the Iberian Peninsula. Its population declined dramatically throughout the 20th century, reaching a critical point in the 2000s due to habitat loss, illegal hunting and other threats. After that, it was classified in 2002 as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List and was later reclassified in 2015 as ‘Endangered’ after a positive reversal of the negative population trend. In recent years, there has been a positive trend in the Iberian lynx population, which has been recovering, increasing in number and distribution area in the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula.

In the Iberian Peninsula, the current population of Iberian lynx is estimated at around 2020 individuals, and the population of Iberian wolves at around 2000 individuals.

The Iberian lynx plays a crucial role in the Iberian ecosystem as a top predator, keeping the rabbit population in balance and contributing to the genetic diversity of prey species. Thanks to the conservation efforts launched in the 2000s in Portugal and Spain, its evolution has been favourable, with 14 stable population nuclei with confirmed reproduction having been identified in the 2023 Iberian Census (one nucleus in southern Portugal and the rest in Spain). However, the Iberian lynx still faces a number of challenges to its existence, most notably the scarcity of food (especially rabbits, which are an important food resource), the fragmentation and loss of habitat (such as the Mediterranean landscape of woods and scrubland) caused by human development, illegal hunting and low genetic diversity. Road traffic and the resulting accidents have recently been identified as an additional and significant threat to their survival.

The Iberian lynx is a predator specialised in hunting rabbits and hares, which constitute its main prey. Its presence helps to control the populations of these animals, preventing them from overpopulating and causing damage to vegetation and agricultural activities. The Iberian lynx also contributes to species diversity in the ecosystem, as its presence can influence the distribution and behaviour of other species.

The Iberian wolf plays a fundamental role in maintaining biodiversity and regulating wild prey populations in Portugal. As a top predator, it directly influences the dynamics of herbivore populations, helping to control their uncontrolled growth and promoting the health of ecosystems, namely by preferentially feeding on the most vulnerable and sick animals.

However, despite its ecological importance, the Iberian wolf faces a number of challenges, including habitat loss, fragmentation of the territory and conflicts with local communities, and its situation is particularly critical south of the River Douro. The Iberian wolf sub-population in this area is quite isolated from the rest of the Iberian population, with less than 40 individuals of the species surviving in a territory where they still face adversities such as habitat destruction, scarcity of wild prey and persecution.

The wolf's main prey are wild ungulates (wild boar, roe deer, roe deer and mountain goat), although to a lesser extent it also feeds on other carnivores such as foxes, roe deer or badgers. The wolf also feeds on livestock, particularly when its prey is in short supply or abundance, and when the livestock is not sufficiently protected or the wolf finds a weak entry point into the holding.

References:

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MITECO, ICNF (2023) Censo lince 2023 (España y Portugal). Relatório. Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico, Insituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, 9p.

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