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Iberian Lynx Centre in Silves to receive much-needed Government Funding

lynx fundingIt seems as if more government funding may finally be on the horizon for the Iberian Lynx Conservation Centre in Silves, which celebrated its 10th anniversary only last week.

In conversation with the press at the anniversary celebrations in Silves, the government’s Secretary of State for Nature Conservation revealed that the government will be pushed to create an “annual fund” for the centre so that it isn’t so largely dependent on funds coming from the European Union.

The Secretary of State said that funding will act as a “guarantee” for the centre’s team, who should not feel worry regarding the possibility of “losing their pay from one moment to the next”, but also to safeguard the “sustainability of the centre itself” in the future.

“It is important to maintain the guarantee of finance to complement the community funding that the centre receives,” stated the Secretary of State, João Catarino.

Moreover, Mr. Catarino  praised the work that has been carried out by the centre throughout the last decade, describing the conservation programme as a “success” and proof of this is being the impressive increase in the quantity of cubs that have been born there and the number of mature lynxes that have been since released into the wild.

Since the centre’s beginning back in 2009, it has already overseen the birth of 122 Iberian lynxes. Over 100 of which have been released into the wild in Mértola, and in the Spanish regions of Andalusia, Extremadura and Castilla La Mancha.

The head of the centre, Rodrigo Serra, stated that he is “overjoyed” by the success of the facility, which has successfully aided in the breeding process of the species to bring it back from the brink of extinction whilst ensuring its safe reintroduction in the Iberian Peninsula.

However, he says the centre’s work is “far from over”, pointing out that for him there are still many achievements left to come, which he hopes shan’t be as difficult, as the team is “motivated by the success so far”.

Mr. Serra had kind words for the work that has been done at other reproduction centres that are part of the same conservation programme in Spain, adding that they have all achieved success due to having shared techniques and knowledge.

“At the end of the day, this is truly an Iberian programme, and the results have been very good,” he concluded.

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