The Three Rare Lynx Cubs Still Recovering
The ‘critically endangered’ – newborn lynx cats continue to make a full recovery and are being breastfed by their mother where they were discovered in the abandoned barn that they were born several weeks ago.
The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), listed as ‘critically endangered’ on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), were filmed in a barn in the province of Ciudad Real in the central Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha.
The footage of the mother lynx called Odrina with her three cute cubs, born around two months ago, was shared on social media by the Spanish WWF organisation.
In one video, the three cubs appear to be breastfeeding before two of them spring to their feet and enjoy a play fight.
In the other clips, the three fluffy cubs are seen frolicking and play fighting in the long grass.
According to local media, Odrina gave birth to her fourth litter of four cubs in the same barn, however, one of them died soon afterwards, according to WWF Spain.
Odrina is the daughter of the lynxes Mesta and Milvus and was reportedly the first lynx born in the wild in the province for 50 years.
Lynx prey largely on small to medium-sized mammals and birds and they are rarely seen during the day unless food is scarce, preferring to hunt at night and spend the day sleeping in dense thickets. As adults they live solitary lives, only coming together to breed.
(T4 / ends)