IN what is being called ‘a despicable crime’ a protected Iberian lynx has been shot dead in Sevilla.
The creature – the most endangered cat on the planet – was found with a shocking 30 lead pellets in its body.
Investigations are now underway to try and identify the person responsible.
Meanwhile, the Junta also reported that another lynx had been found dead and is believed to have been run over by a motorist on the A-49 motorway between Sevilla and Huelva.
It comes just weeks after the announcement that the EU Life programme, in place since 2002, to conserve and reintroduce the threatened Iberian Lynx has recovered almost three quarters of the species’ lost territory.
The second phase of the programme is set to conclude at the end of this month, and the Junta is preparing for the introduction of a third more ambitious phase.
