According to the necropsy, over 300 leads were found in the corpse

On November 28th, specialists from the Life Iberlince project 'Recovery of the historical distribution of the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) in Spain and Portugal (2011-2018)’ located the corpse of a radiolabeled Iberian lynx specimen in the Guadalmellato Valley reintroduction area (Córdoba).

'Marvel' was its name, a three-year-old male, released in the spring of 2016 in the area where he was found dead. After an initial analysis by the technicians, and following protocol, the animal was transferred to the Wildlife Analysis and Diagnosis Centre of the Regional Government of Andalusia (CAD) where the appropriate autopsy was performed.

According to the results of said procedure, over 300 leads were found in the specimen’s body, proving that human action was behind this death.

For project director, Miguel Ángel Simón, events like this are "dramatic in light of the efforts made by the two countries and 22 partners involved in this project", thanks to which this species has been rescued from the 'critically endangered' category.

The Andalusian Hunting Federation (FAC), an Iberlince project partner, condemned this brutal event, and announced, on their Twitter profile, that they will file a private legal action against the perpetrator(s) of this criminal act. In this sense, they emphasize that one cannot criminalize the group that promotes an ethical, responsible and sustainable hunting practice, but rather the individual directly responsible for this crime.