Utterly Lovely Lynx
For most of my life when I’ve thought of Spain, Barcelona, bars and beaches have come to mind. My parents had a flat in Denia for many years, so holidays there, plus visits to friends in Sitges in more recent times, fuelled that rather limited view. I have now finally found that Spain has the most amazing nature reserves. And in certain places you can even spot the most elegant wild cats imaginable: lynx.
I had the thrill of seeng lynx in Andujar Natural Park in January with my usual great gang of wildlife watching friends. Iberian lynx used to be fairly common in Spain and Portugal but, as with lots of wildlife, their numbers diminished through habitat destruction, disease, hunting and road accidents. At one time they were on the verge of extinction; thanks to conservation efforts, they are now listed by the IUCN as vulnerable – a small but significant improvement. Spotting them would be a challenge, but we were optimistic.
‘Sitting on a jeep at sunrise, watching a giraffe reach into a tree to munch on leaves.’ My usual answer to the question, ‘What have you missed the most this year?’ ‘Oh yes, and seeing the sea.’ Of course, I miss friends and family too, but at least I can see them on Zoom.
