The European lynx belongs to the cat family and is a native species in Catalonia. It has an important role to play in the region’s ecosystems. The lynx is a bobtail and long-legged cat with whiskers and pointed ears. Its coat is usually thick and “elegant” with a spotty pattern. Its legs are long and it has well developed claws due to the fact that it only hunts mammals.

Uy and Lu have come from a zoological centre in Vigo. They are currently 6 months old and have adapted very well to the way of life in Caixa Catalunya’s Planes de Son Fauna Centre. As they were raised in captivity, they are very docile. The idea is that their offspring, or rather the young of their young, will help towards reintroducing the species in Catalonia.

The lynx lived in the Pyrenees until the 20th century, but its extinction had already started centuries earlier. The lynx was present between 1700 and 1900 in El Cadí, El Pallars, the Alta Ribagorça and the Paderna forest (the central Pyrenees) at least. The lynx also lived in France, where it was seen in the region of Aude in 1841.

Data relating to Catalonia is very scarce, but some information is available about two isolated regions: the Sierra del Cadí in the Alt Ripollès, El Canigó and the eastern Pyrenees and the other, a small part of the central Pyrenees.

Between 1985 and 1989 two studies collected more than 100 reports about possible lynxes in the Pyrenees in Catalonia and Aragon. Out of these, only 41 could be potential genuine lynx examples. Another study, which involved finding tracks in the snow (1985-1989), only found two examples of lynx tracks. All the data refers to the Sierra del Cadí, Alt Solsonès, Alt Ripollès and El Carlit, the latter in Alta Cerdanya. It is estimated that there is a maximum of 1-3 lynxes left in the Catalan Pyrenees.

Since then, data on the presence of the lynx has continued to be collated, often in the same region. However, in any case, no concrete evidence has been found about the species. A team financed by Caixa Catalunya’s Social Work looked for the species in the 21st century (2001-2003 especially), but no concrete evidence was found. This fact proves that it is extremely rare and even possibly extinct since the end of the 80s.

Lynxes in Caixa Catalunya’s Caixa Catalunya's Les Planes de Son

Uy and Lu are two European lynxes (Lynx lynx) that have been recently added to the Fauna Centre in Caixa Catalunya’s Les Planes de Son installations for our environmental education programme.

Uy and Lu, currently 6 months old, will contribute enormously to raise awareness of the importance of having these predators in the Catalan Pyrenees, which have been missing from the middle of the 20th century. Caixa Catalunya’s Social Work is starting to reintroduce this feline into Catalunya, as its offspring could be essential for trying to reintroduce the species into Catalan forests.

According to a 2004 study from the Environmental and Housing Department of the Generalitat de Catalunya (European Lynx Reintroduction Project in Catalonia. Restoring an Emblematic Species in the Pyrenees), the lynx is an essential piece of the Pyrenean jigsaw and its reintroduction will restore a more natural environment.

As an apex predator, the lynx helps to control numbers of other predators such as foxes, wild cats and the musk cat. Furthermore, the lynx naturally controls and prevents illnesses in hares and even-toed ungulates by eliminating sick animals and maintaining healthy populations.

The pair live in a 300 m2 open-air space, perfectly adapted to their needs. The space has all the necessary permits from the Environmental Department to be called a zoological centre. Therefore, visitors to Caixa Catalunya’s Caixa Catalunya's Les Planes de Son Nature and Sustainable Development Centre can see the habits of this beautiful feline up close.