An Iberian lynx has been detected in the Basque Country for the first time in the last century

An Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) has been detected by photographic trap cameras in Campezo (Álava). This historic discovery took place in December 2025, but the details have now been published and have been considered the first evidence of the presence of this animal in Álava and the Basque Country in the last century. 

A farmer from Campezo learned of the lynx. He set up a trap camera on his farm to record the wild animals passing by. After taking pictures of the usual wild cats or teapots, he was surprised: the first test of an Iberian lynx on Alavese soil.

So far, some specimens of the boreal lynx (Lynx lynx), recorded in the early 20th century in the Sierra de Aizkorri-Aratz, the Gorbea and Valdegovia, have appeared in Alavese lands. The presence of this larger species is common in the northern Pyrenees. 

On the other hand, in this case, the specimen captured by the phototrampeo cameras of Campezo confirms that it is probably a reintroduced animal.

The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is an animal in the form of a medium-sized cat, typical of the Iberian peninsula, with sharp ears, long beards and gleaming spots on its hair. It is a species associated with the Mediterranean mountain, which, after being on the verge of extinction at the beginning of the century, is now on its way to recovery thanks to the success of conservation programmes.

The lynx detected carries a tracking necklace that confirms that it is a specimen that is monitored from the recovery programmes of the species in the Peninsular South. The species is experiencing a historical recovery period, with more than 2,663 copies already in Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura and Portugal.

Although there is no project to re-enter the Basque Country, the nearest specimens are found in Aragon — with recent releases in the province of Zaragoza to spread the species across the Ebro Valley — and in Castile and Leon, which have already begun to proliferate in the province of Palencia.

GPS collars have shown that these lynx are capable of travelling more than 25 kilometres a day, and that across different communities they travel more than 1,000 kilometres in search of their land.

His diet is 90% dependent on the rabbit, but when there are few rabbits, they show great adaptability.