To be or not to be a superpredator: a multidisciplinary assessment of the Iberian lynx in a reintroduction social scenario

Abstract

Since 2015, following reintroductions, an Iberian lynx population in Vale do Guadiana (Portugal) has been breeding and expanding, bringing changes to both ecosystems and residents’ perceptions. We describe how ecological monitoring, genetic analysis and social surveys contribute to assess this new scenario of coexistence with ecological and social repercussions. Departing from a specific case of a monitored lynx family, we present, for the first time, molecular proof of interspecific competition between lynxes and other carnivores. We assessed and compared knowledge of local key actors about the superpredator effect of the lynx previous to and following reintroduction. Data on damage experienced by livestock breeders with foxes and perceptions about it are integrated here, demonstrating how important this lynx role can be for local actors. We present proof of the killing of two foxes and a genet by lynxes through the amplification of a specific lynx DNA region and other molecular analyses carried out on saliva samples. Local actors, who previously were skeptical about the lynx’s ecological effects, do recognize its effect over other wild carnivores presently. This is a major benefit, since social perceptions have been conditioning the acceptance of the lynx, its future expansion, and the whole process of reintroduction. We also present the first documented case of a natural migrant from Doñana (SW Spain) effectively integrated and reproducing in the Vale do Guadiana population. This case study demonstrates the importance of multidisciplinary knowledge in conservation programmes and how genetics and social surveys provide complementary information for monitoring in reintroduction and, generally, conservation programs of an umbrella species.