Rewilding Spain's Iberian Highlands - 2nd January 2023

A large-scale environmental project, initiated by Rewilding Europe, seeks to bring dramatic ecological benefits to Spain's Iberian Highlands. This – the 10th venture of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) – includes the reintroduction of predator species and the preservation of forested areas.

The programme spans 850,000 hectares to the east of the capital Madrid, comprising swathes of wilderness where canyons and valleys are plentiful, and the land is cloaked with pine, oak and juniper forests. Inhabited by boar, deer and ibex, human beings are few and far between – fewer than two per square kilometre – making conditions extremely suitable for reintroducing predators. Pablo Schapira, team leader at Rewilding Spain,underlined this, saying, "It's very rare to find these kinds of places in Europe."

Rewilding Europe's first initiatives for strengthening the area's ecology are restoring scavenger birds of prey and maintaining the natural grazing animals. In addition, the organisation plans to protect established forests and to reintroduce the Iberian lynx.

Black vultures, with their immense three-metre wingspan, will soon be rehomed there as the NGO plans to release 15 of the avian giants annually. They'll be joining herds of tauros cattle – animals selectively bred to match Europe's original wild aurochs – as well as wild horses, both of which have been recently released into the area.

The Iberian lynx will be next in line, to be introduced within the next 12-24 months. It's anticipated that the mammal predator will keep herbivore populations in check, and importantly, within the farming community this creature is deemed less menacing to livestock than wolves.

The rewilding project didn't come about for uniquely ecological reasons. Economically, the Iberian Highlands have stagnated partially due to migration from rural areas to urban hubs. Rewilding Europe advocates sustainable nature-based tourism for the region, replacing its current industries of mining, forestry and hunting.

David Thomas, Director of the Endangered Landscapes Programme, explained, "By initiating a bottom-up process for the conservation and restoration of this landscape's ecosystems, we believe the project has potential to benefit both nature and people."