The Ghost of Sierra de Andújar
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My journey in search of the Iberian lynx began in southern Spain. After landing in Seville, I travelled north-east towards the Sierra de Andújar, a landscape of Mediterranean woodland, rocky hills and open grasslands that is home to one of the most important populations of Iberian lynx in the world.After arriving in the region, I stayed in a small farmhouse surrounded by the countryside. The following morning, before sunrise, I made my way to a concealed wildlife hide and began the wait. Photographing wild animals often means spending hours watching an apparently empty landscape, never knowing if anything will appear.
On my first day, an Iberian lynx appeared surprisingly close to the hide. For several minutes, I was able to photograph it moving naturally through the landscape at a distance far closer than I had expected. Seeing one of Europe's rarest wild cats for the first time and having it appear so close was an unforgettable start to the trip.
The lynx was not the only wildlife around Andújar. European rabbits were frequently visible across the area and are especially important here, as they form the main prey of the Iberian lynx. The surrounding Mediterranean habitat also supported a variety of birdlife, including colourful European bee-eaters.
The second day told a completely different story. The morning passed without a lynx sighting, and for most of the day the landscape remained quiet. As sunset approached, however, my luck changed.A lynx appeared again this time accompanied by its young. Watching them together in the warm evening light was already an incredible encounter, but shortly afterwards I had the opportunity to witness something even more special: a successful hunt.
The lynx caught a rabbit and began feeding, giving me the chance to observe one of the most important relationships in this ecosystem first-hand. The rabbits I had photographed peacefully the previous day were also the prey that allows this rare predator to survive.
The Iberian lynx is found only on the Iberian Peninsula and was once pushed dangerously close to extinction. Today, following major conservation and reintroduction efforts, its population has recovered significantly, although protecting its habitat and prey remains essential for its future.Sierra de Andújar in Andalusia is one of its best-known strongholds. The area's Mediterranean woodland and scrub provide the cover the lynx needs, while populations of European rabbits its primary prey provide the food that supports them.
