In a landmark moment for Spanish conservation, the region of Aragon has released its first pair of Iberian lynx into the wild, bringing one of Europe’s most iconic predators to the doorstep of Catalonia and casting a fresh spotlight on the latter’s own shelved reintroduction plans.
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The two lynx, a pair named Waka and Winx born last year at the El Acebuche captive breeding centre in Andalusia’s renowned Doñana National Park, were released on Tuesday on the Acampo Armijo estate in Torrecilla de Valmadrid, near Zaragoza. This release marks the first step in Aragon’s ambitious project to re-establish a stable population of the species (Lynx pardinus); they will release a total of eight individuals in the Huerva river basin this year.
This move continues a hugely successful nationwide effort that has pulled the Iberian lynx back from the brink of extinction. A recent census from Spain’s Ministry for Ecological Transition reveals the population soared from just 94 individuals in 2002 to over 2,000 by 2024. Aragon now joins Andalusia, Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, and Murcia in hosting reintroduction programmes.
A Tale of Two Neighbours
While conservation groups like the WWF have hailed the release in Aragon as a “historic milestone,” the event creates a stark contrast with current policy in neighbouring Catalonia. Just last year, the Catalan government, the Generalitat de Catalunya, agreed to halt its own reintroduction plans as part of a deal to end widespread road blockades by farmers.
The decision “not to reintroduce any lynx” was a key clause in the Acord per la Pagesia Catalana, an agreement signed by the then Minister of Agriculture, Òscar Ordeig, and representatives of the Revolta Pagesa farmers’ protest movement.
“In Catalonia, a study for the recovery of the lynx had been initiated, based on scientific data and seeking social consensus,” Jordi Sargatal, Secretary of Ecological Transition for the Generalitat, told La Vanguardia. “But, incredibly and inexplicably, a veto was imposed by a group of farmers who were blockading roads.”
Calls for a Rethink
With the lynx now establishing a population in the adjacent region, Sargatal is urging a reconsideration of the veto. “While maintaining the signed pact, we urge reflection. As Aragon’s plans demonstrate, lynx recovery offers many positive effects. Any negative impact would be quickly remedied with generous compensation,” he explained.
Officials in Aragon share this optimism. Alfonso Calvo, Director General of Natural Environment, Hunting and Fishing for the Government of Aragon, stressed the ecological benefits. “We have no doubt that the reintroduction of the lynx will benefit the natural environment and also sectors that might mistakenly feel threatened, such as farmers or hunters,” he said.
Calvo noted that studies indicate the lynx will help “control the rabbit and fox, which are causing significant damage in several agricultural areas in Aragon,” while also aiding the recovery of species like the partridge. He assured that the plan involves no new restrictions on land use or changes to hunting permits.
Sargatal echoed this, adding that the predator’s return could help manage species that harm agriculture in Catalonia. “The lynx preys on small specimens of species like wild boar or roe deer,” he detailed. “Furthermore, the recovery of this feline would produce the so-called ‘ecology of fear,’ which causes species that could be attacked by the lynx to limit their expansion, presence, or reproduction simply out of fear.”
An Inevitable Return?
Even without an official reintroduction programme, lynx are already making their own way into Catalonia. The region, like the rest of the Iberian peninsula, has been experiencing a series of dramatic weather events, from high winds to torrential rain, but the changing landscape has not deterred these resilient animals.
In 2018, a male named Litio, released in Portugal, made its way to the Baix Llobregat area near Barcelona. More recently, in 2025, another male named Secreto appeared in the Lleida pre-Pyrenees after travelling over 1,000 kilometres from its release site in Andalusia. With a breeding population now set to be established just across the border in Aragon, such natural dispersals are likely to become more common, raising questions about whether a managed reintroduction would be a more proactive approach than reacting to sporadic arrivals.
Sargatal confirmed the Generalitat remains open to discussions. “We must reflect on lynx recovery in Catalonia, and we remain open to negotiating with affected sectors, especially with democratically elected union representatives,” he concluded.
