Two furry Iberian lynx kittens were born on Easter Sunday in Portugal, raising hopes of a resurrection of the species in the country, where it has been extinct for about a decade.
The Iberian lynx is one of the world's most endangered cats. They measure about 1 meter in length, have distinctive leopard-like spots and four sets of whiskers - two on the ears and two on the chin.
"This is the first time Iberian lynx have been born in captivity here. It's a happy coincidence that the two animals were born on Easter," Environment Minister Dulce Alvaro Passaro told Reuters last Tuesday.
"It's very important because the species had ceased to exist in Portugal years ago. It is another step toward the planned reintroduction of the Iberian lynx in their natural habitat."
The lynx were born in the National Centre for Iberian Lynx Reproduction in southern Portugal, which only opened last May, from a couple brought from Spain, where the lynx still roam in the wild and are also bred in three reproduction centres.
The mother, five-year-old Azahar, had previously failed to conceive and scientists from the centre were relieved by the healthy pregnancy and delivery.
"The two creatures are strong and quite active. The female Azahar shows all the adequate maternal instincts, being around the kittens permanently and giving them maternal care with dedication and calm," the ministry, which oversees the project, said in a note.
The centre, which cost around €2 million, was built by water utility Aguas do Algarve as compensation for installing a dam in the southern Algarve region. It works in close cooperation with the centres in Spain.
The species had disappeared in Portugal because of habitat loss due to rural and urban development, as well as a declining population of its main prey - rabbits and hare - due to diseases.
Alvaro Passaro said the ministry was working with local authorities and hunting associations in several areas where the lynx used to live to prepare ground for its reintroduction into the wild.
"Creating the proper natural conditions in these areas is not a problem. With the hunters, the key is to convince them that the lynx will not destroy all the rabbits, that the ecosystem will accommodate the lynx, and we are getting a good response from them now," she said.