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Newly released lynx escapes and wanders into Lorca city playground
The endangered animal roamed around 30 kilometres from its new Murcia habitat
Barely two months after four endangered Iberian lynx were released into their new nature reserve in the foothills of Lorca, one of the animals has traversed a busy motorway and made its way into a city centre playground.
The animals were introduced in breeding pairs to temporary enclosures in the upper districts of Lorca between February and March. Tiko was in the first group to be fully released into his new habitat but, seemingly not content with the amount of space on offer, he went missing on Wednesday May 17.
He was found nearly 30 kilometres away in the park of a nursery in the Alfonso X neighbourhood of Lorca. Luckily, the four animals are tagged so he was easily tracked to the playground, where officers from the Police and the Seprona division of the Guardia Civil were quickly on hand to secure the area and prevent Tiko from escaping.Councillor for the Environment and Public Safety, José Luis Ruiz, believes the lynx used his new-found freedom to cross the Sierra de la Peñarrubia and reach the city by crossing a tunnel on the A-7 motorway.
Just days before the first pair of lynx were moved to Lorca, the same Ministry expressed concerns that the chosen habitat was close to so many high-capacity roads. The new wildlife reserve, which spans territory in the Sierras del Gigante-Pericay, Lomas del Buitre - Río Luchena and Sierra de la Torrecilla, was picked specifically for its remoteness, but these animals are capable of travelling a great distance.
On this occasion, Tiko escaped without a scratch and was soon returned to the fenced enclosure near the Puentes reservoir. Following the worrying episode, the Ministry and Lorca City Council have joined forces to establish a protocol in case of another escape.Images: Policia Local Lorca / Consejería del Medio Ambiente
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