Two years in prison and a 114.000 fine for killing an endangered Iberian Lynx

Species affected: Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)

Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN), fully protected in Spain and Portugal, listed on CITES Appendix I, and on Appendix II of the Bern Convention, and Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive.

Brief description of the crime (400-500 characters):

The crime took place during the first months of 2020 in the Spanish region of Extremadura, one of the areas where the Iberian Lynx was reintroduced with the help of the EU LIFE programme, in a game reserve that is part of the Natura 2000 network. 

The accused, who owns a state in the area, was hunting partridge using a live lure when an iberian lynx approached the cage and the man shot it. Although the defense lawyer claimed that the accused mistook the lynx for a fox, the feline was 15 meters away and the man had a clear visual of the target, with no scrubs or vegetation in between. The lynx, called ‘Querubín’, was one year old and it suffered an immediate death.

Who was involved in detection/investigation/prosecution:

• The LIFE Iberlince team in the region, detected the animal was missing thanks to the close monitoring of the species.
• The Nature Protection Service of the Spanish Guardia Civil, including its dog unit.
• The Criminal Court of Don Benito (Badajoz).

Sentence / fine imposed to perpetrators:

In February 2023, the Criminal Court of Don Benito sentenced the hunter to 2 years and one day in prison for killing the animal. The man was found guilty of a wildlife crime and the Court imposed a 114.158€ fine to compensate for the damage caused to the conservation of the species. He was also barred from exercising the right to hunt for a period of 4 years. The sentence can be appealed before the Provincial Court.