MISSING THE LYNX
The Iberian lynx is one of the world’s most threatened cats with some 400 survivors holding on by the tips of their claws in the forests and mountains of Spain and Portugal. Hunted to the brink of extinction in the 20th century, the cats were finally declared endangered in 2002 and hunting them was outlawed.
Of course, it’s not just cats that are endangered as 2020 begins but also their habitat, by which we mean this great “ship” of ours that sails around the mighty Sun (and thank you to the ’80s band ELO for the lyric). So this massive Iberian lynx sculpture, created entirely out of trash by urban artist Bordalo II, seen here outside the Gare do Oriente in this famous Portuguese city, is an apt metaphor for our times. The station itself is another award-winning creation that seems both fragile and yet full of light — in a way just like Earth itself.
● To stand a chance of winning R500, tell us the name of the city. Send your answer to travelquiz@sundaytimes.co.za before noon on Tuesday January 28. Last week’s winner is Manoharam Joshua from Pretoria. The correct answer was the Chao Phraya River.