Iberian Lynx – Mucho Gusto!
They say that to see an Endangered animal you must put the hours in, be prepared for failure, the conditions will be harsh, they are extremely elusive and very nervous of humans. And for good reason, the Iberian Lynx is no different.
However, it is now made somewhat easier with the amazing conservation efforts by Spain to save these animals, rebounding from 100 to 400 within around a quarter of a century. Still, you need luck on your side, you probably should wear some lucky charms, whether it be lucky socks or pants, your choice, in can’t do any harm, oh and cross your fingers!
I travelled to Spain with the mindset that I just had to get there, the past 21 months had been very tough, so upon arriving at Heathrow to be told my flight was cancelled, not long ago I probably would have turned around and gone home. This time it was different, fight mode was activated and it was eventually sorted. A new leaf was overturned, Paul the Wildlife Photographer was activated, I had the motivation of documenting the Iberian Lynx!
I arrived late, the party and the reluctant unhappy driver waited 3 hours for me, thank you so much. I quickly learnt people’s names, after two hours’ drive, we arrived at our hotel location and tested my memory skills, job done, the memory man was back. Another win.
To photograph these wild cats, you need to be stealthy, arrive nice and early in pitch black, utilise purpose-built hides with exceptional clear glass, advice - ensure the glass is smear free, shout up if it’s not. Lastly, you must set up quickly, settle down and be ultra silent.
A quick summary of the first 16 hours across two sessions, nothing, a big fat zero in warm temperatures of around 33c, which was quite nice considering it could have hit +40c. I must admit I was tired of birds, birds and more birds, oh and a few Rabbits. I was here for the Iberian Lynx. Maybe the Rabbits could be a tempter for the wild cat!
So fast forward to Session 4, the time is 8.50pm, the light is fading fast and we are due to be collected at 9.15pm, 25 precious minutes remain... Anyone that knows me, I visualise, dream, very focused, always scanning from side to side, backwards and forwards for smallest hint that a wild cat could arrive, “if you believe, they will come”, never stop believing. At around 8.53pm, I hit the jackpot, a female Iberian Lynx casually and cautiously walking out of the shadows in the distance, heading directly to the watering hole, I say “Lynx” the loudest I dare which was literally a feint whisper, pointing my camera towards the animal, the silent snapping commenced, the ripple effect was palpable, the grin on my face was exquisite, the rest of the hide picked up on the change in atmosphere and the action that was unfolding before our very eyes.
Watching this mesmerising cat stride purposefully towards the watering hole was pure joy, their slim lean mottled grey and brown coat with black markings, powerful stature with long legs likened to a coiled spring, the piercing yellow eyes and long tufty ears make this cat so different to the Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs that I am used to seeing. (Although, it is not my beautiful Akira, my favourite African Leopard). Spending approximately 10 minutes with this wonderful piece of nature was inspiring, watching and photographing and videoing this special wild cat was spellbinding as my heartbeat level rose and pounded like my heart would pop out of my body, she sipped water with her long tongue, teeth on show, and occasionally checking for signs of danger, she finally rose, stood and sauntered off, walking away, pausing, looking back and sauntering from right to left, leaving her calling card in the bush and then out of sight. The heart still pounded, the videoing and clicks stopped, the huge smile broke out, the euphoric chatter began and I punched the air in celebration. Job done! I knew I had some exceptional footage despite the darkness and high ISO levels. Love it! Love Iberian Lynx. Amar Lince Iberico.
We had two more days hoping to see the Iberian Lynx, two further sightings, the first one was a nervous shy Male, sadly I missed this as I was trying to be arty with a bird, I lost focus for a few minutes, by the time I was back in the world of lynx, all I had a was picture of a Lynx’s rear end, delete. Not great Paul, lesson learnt. Despite the boredom, you are there for one thing, never forget.
The second action occurred on the last day, a waterhole fly by from the same Female, but she wasn’t alone, on her approach she called, at first, I thought it could be cubs. She left the waterhole ahead of schedule as she was disturbed by noise in the hide. The excitement got the better of some, me included, my chair made a loud noise, that was it, she decided to leave, casually she walked away, the damage was done, I was distraught, I let everyone down irrespective of everyone saying it wasn't my fault (thank you again to you all) - so enough said on that, most people would not mention this, but I feel it makes us stronger, we accept our errors and we should own our mistakes, life moves on and the exceptional high standards rise again. As she left the waterhole I spotted the Male, standing far back to the side of the bush, he was interested and following, maybe, just maybe they were having a romantic liaison, we will never know as they walked out of view for some privacy. Potential cubs in the future? I shall have to return soon.
Hasta Pronto Lince Iberico!
Hasta la proxima!
