Rare lynx found in Spain after being released in Portugal

BARCELONA, Spain – Spanish environmental authorities say they have captured a rare lynx in Catalonia, three years after it was released in Portugal.

Litio, a four-year-old Iberian lynx, had been spotted on the outskirts of Barcelona on May 29. Officials said Thursday the lynx was captured Wednesday by local authorities along with members of a European animal conservation project.

Local authorities said the Iberian lynx, a critically endangered species, had not been seen in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region since the early 20th century.

Litio was born in captivity and released into the wild in Portugal’s Vale do Guadiana natural park in 2015, with a GPS tracking collar that soon stopped working.

In good health, the feline has been released back into the wild in Spain’s southern region of Andalusia with a new tracking collar.