The Iberian lynx, at risk of extinction, may be reintroduced into the wild on low-production olive groves soon.

A study by Spanish scientists says this may be the most appropriate place for the cat.

1. Iberian Lynx

The Iberian (Spanish), Lynx lives in very small areas of central and southern Spain (Andalucia). It  used to live throughout Spain and Portugal but its numbers have been drastically reduced to the point where it is now one of the most endangered wild cats in the world.

In the early 1950s a virus named Myxomatosis was illegally introduced by a French scientist to wild rabbits on his estate to protect his vegetable patch. Tragically the virus spread rapidly, and killed about 90% of the wild rabbits in France.  Spanish rabbits also died  in huge numbers even going completely missing in some areas,  so thousands of lynx starved to death. Habitat loss, hunting and trapping also have decimated the lynx. They are protected now, but they still get caught in fox traps.  Another cause of death recently is getting hit by cars in Donana National Park.

The size of critical lynx habitat will increase from 1,841 square miles across three states to 39,000 square miles in six.

The expansion is due to a policy reconsideration because of allegations that Deputy Assistant Interior Secretary Julie McDonald used her position to interfere with the way scientific findings were presented to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She resigned in 2007.

I traveled recently, by air, to Vail.

Now before you self-styled environmentalists throw a fit, know this: I offset all my travel by trading for credits at Gladropes, my local hemp crafts store and carbon exchange. I found a nice gentleman whom for some reason wanted all my old underwear in exchange for 5,000 gallons of effluence for my personal methane-capture still.

Though I had to breathe into a paper bag to keep from hyperventilating every time

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