Iberian Lynx Safari at Andujar National Park

Having seen wildcats in Asia, Africa and South America, I was itching to see more and how about spotting a wildcat in Europe. That does sound very stupid isn’t it— A wildcat in Europe! But yeah Europe and especially Spain is home to one of the most endangered feline in the word – the Iberian Lynx. I was on a Road trip across Andalucía and what better than to include wildlife and nature into your road trip.  After a great weekend in Barcelona join me in experiencing the thrills of spotting the Iberian Lynx Safari at Andujar National Park.

Day 1:  Arrive at Andújar National Park

We drove from Malaga towards the Andujar National Park – One of the last 2 refuges of the critically endangered Iberian Lynx.After a quick lunch break at a local services we head towards the perimeter of Andujar National Park to our hotel – La Caracola Casa Rural. Located midst the beautiful nature of this was an absolutely stunning locale for this perfect family driven rural accommodation.

We settled into our room and went for a walk in the woods admiring the beautiful Umbrella Pine trees and different species of birds chirping away. We were duly accompanied by the Hotels very own Spanish Shepherd Dog. So why the 3 hours’ drive to this very secluded area of Spain – We were here to spot the Elusive Iberian Lynx. We have been tracking wild cats around the globe and it was time for us to see the Lynx.  Jose from IberianLynxLand arrived in the evening and took us for our first Safari to a nearby dam where there have been spotting of a male Lynx. Jose had amazing knowledge of the area and the wildlife here and it was an absolute pleasure talking with Jose and his co-guide Miguel. We weren’t lucky today as the Lynx did a No-Show and we drove back to hotel and after an awesome meal and a tiring day we hit the bed.

Day 2: Iberian Lynx at a Distance

An early start to the day and after a sumptuous breakfast we were on our way looking for the elusive Lynx cat. Miguel was our guide for the day and Jose was accompanying another of 3 Swiss travelers – who were an absolute pleasure to meet and chat up. The guides have their favorite locations where the cat has been spotted previously and one has to remember it’s all about Patience. We drove along the unpaved roads crossing a farm of fighting bulls and then herds of red deer before arriving at vantage point – more like a never ending valley of rolling hills.

The first half was quite uneventful – we did hear few magpie calls on a hill just 20 meters away but the foliage was so dense we couldn’t see anything. We drove to a nearby dam near a reservoir, a beautiful spot which overlooks the gully. There is a short tunnel at the end of the dam which harbors various species of bats. We then head back to the hotel for our lunch and some rest.

Weather had changed and was quite damp and wet by now as we head out again in the evening to the very same spot. Miguel spotted something at a distance with some magpies flying over a tree but couldn’t spot anything. With dark clouds hovering over our Swiss guests left for the day but decided to stay back and luckily the sun was out again very soon – Staying in the UK we know very well how the weather could change in a matter of minutes. And yes it did pay out, Miguel spotted something moving in his telescopic lens and asked me to keep an eye on it. And there it was – my first sight of the elusive feline moving out from the bushes and moving out of sight in seconds. By the time Amoli wanted to have a look the ghost had disappeared. I was all goose bumps but at the same time Amoli was all upset as she couldn’t spot it! We tried driving between the ridges to check where it had disappeared but no luck and we eventually came back to the same spot. And after a while Miguel spotted the Lynx under the same bush resting and panning its head out. And this time both I and Amoli had the pleasure of seeing the elusive and one of the most beautiful cats in the world.

Thought at a very long distance and neither visible to naked eyes nor can photograph we were still happy that we saw the lynx. We were very happy that we did see the lynx thanks to the efforts of Miguel but still the question in our mind was – Will we see a lynx with our own eyes?

Day 3:  No Show – Despair

Again an early start to the day and we were off to the same spot but the weather was really bad with heavy showers and we dint even any alarm calls during the first half. Lynx are known to be territorial cats but they often tend to cross boundaries in search for food. Spotting a territorial cat is real fun but also the waits can be long and also at times disappointing. I have personally experience this while sighting the Tiger in forests of India so it wasn’t new for me.  As with the tiger spotting the Lynx is to lend your ears to the alarm calls of magpies.

During the second half we went to nearby private estate and except for some Red and Fallow Deer, Spanish Eagle, Vultures, Wild Boars there was no sign of the Lynx.

So all in all it was a disappointing day and now we just had half a day left. So will we be able to see the elusive Lynx tomorrow

Day 4: And Finally – A long Amazing day

So it was our final half day of looking for the elusive Lynx- Our hopes had diminished and honestly turned quite pessimistic at this point. The weather looked bleak as it had poured the whole night and with a heavy heart we made our way to the same spot as the previous 2 days and set our sights over the valley. Thomas was our guide so fingers crossed if he would bring us a final stroke of luck. Two hours passed with absolute silence and it became more evident that we would return empty handed!

All of a sudden I see Miguel run towards us asking us to sprint towards where Jose was on the look. Literally sprinted faster than Bolt at that moment and on reaching Jose, he said us that he just saw a Lynx moving really fast down the hill towards the road and asked us to keep absolute silence. However the ghost had again disappeared – had it crossed the road and gone uphill – and we had missed one of the best shots we would ever get! All of a sudden Jose spotted the cat walking briskly on the road in the valley below and I was first to spot it as it again disappeared. We positioned our lenses to get our shots but the ghost had disappeared again and the Miguel spotted it moving uphill again and finally after 4 days we had seen the Iberian Lynx Cat. The shutters clicked at a rapid pace as the feline moved from one bush to the other while it made its way up the hill – stopping once to turn back and give us a perfect pic before disappearing around the hill.

It did make its way down the hill on the other side where our guide John and also Amoli spotted the cat before it disappeared again. Waited for quite some time but it had disappeared in the dense foliage.What an amazing moment – We had finally seen the Iberian Lynx – one of the most endangered cat in the world. It was all happy faces and after a good group pic we bid goodbyes to the IberianLynxLand team who have been absolutely amazing and friendly over the last few days.

Read more about our Spain road trip – Click here.

Wildlife experiences have always been surreal in different corners of the world but the Iberian Lynx safari stands tall amongst them for being a very different experience in an unexpected part of the world – Europe.

Relive our Road trip in Andalucia :

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