TITLE: Eyes of the future: Iberian Lynx cubs

This photo of two Iberian lynx cubs was captured by pure chance in the last rays of September 2024 in Toledo province, Spain. We were leaving an area known for lynx sightings, our gear already packed, convinced that luck wasn’t on our side that day. As we headed back to the hotel, we suddenly spotted several individuals on the ground. We stopped the car, barely daring to believe our luck. I got out of the car and lay down in the grass to capture a series of photos of these two cubs. At this stage, Iberian lynx cubs are usually grown enough to venture out on their own, yet these little ones still clung to their mother’s side, though with the confidence to keep a bit of distance. Just 20 years ago, fewer than 100 of these magnificent creatures remained in the wild. But thanks to an international repopulation program and other conservation efforts, the Iberian lynx has stepped back from the brink of extinction and is now classified as a vulnerable species.

AUTHOR: Alexandra Surkova (Spain)