Consumed by the thought of a Portuguese female, a Spanish-born lynx made a 170 kilometre dash to satisfy his ardour.
Mundo, a fine example of Spanish lynxhood, born in the Doñana area, made his way across the unmanned border to mate with Malva in Serpa.
Biologists at the Vale do Guadiana Natural Park believe that the first lynx cubs born in Portugal in 2017 are the result of a passionate meeting between Mundo and Malva after they consumated their union in December.
Mundo was last located time in November last year. This two-year-old was born in the wild and migrated to the Guadiana Valley area with some Portuguese action foremost in his mind.
Malva was released in Mértola last February 2016. She had been living quietly near the river Guadiana in the county of Serpa where she now is bringing up her offspring.
The tracking results indicate that the Spanish male stays close to his Portuguese mate, reinforcing the conclusion that he is the proud father.
The Institute of Conservation of Nature and Forestry, commented, "This meeting of the two lynxes proves the connection between two wild populations of lynx in the Iberian Peninsula, with the existence of a natural corridor between the two countries."
The current population of lynx in the Vale do Guadiana is a mixture of 12 youngsters and adults.
The LIFE Iberlince project, co-financed by the European Commission, brings together Portuguese and Spanish public and private partners and aims to reintroduce the historical distribution of the Iberian lynx in Portugal and Spain, from where it had disappeared.
Under the project, 170 animals have already been released with many being run over by vehicles and one poisoned. Mundo has his work cut out to increase numbers but the Spanish male no doubt will rise to the challenge.
