The secret corner of Europe that’s home to Africa-style big-cat safaris
Feline fan Richard Madden leaps at the chance to go in search of the elusive Iberian lynx on an adventure in Andalucia
Ilove cats. If the sound of eternity turns out to be an everlasting purr, it will be reward enough for me. Over the years I have been lucky enough to see lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, African wild cats, caracals and ocelots in the wild. I even once had the rare good fortune to find fresh snow leopard prints in deep snow while trekking in the remote Himalayan Mustang region of Nepal. The knowledge that it almost certainly saw me, even if I didn’t see it, was a privilege in itself.
But one member of the cat family has always eluded me. The lynx is a solitary animal, instantly recognisable from its spotted, light-brown coat, spiky tufts of black fur sticking up above its ears and the burnished white sideburns of a Victorian gentleman.
Unlike the latter, its hearing and eyesight are so acute that it can detect a mouse at a hundred yards. So when we were once again able to visit one of the few remaining areas in Europe where lynx can still be seen in the wild – the Sierra de Andujar region of Andalucia, in southern Spain – I instinctively pounced on the opportunity.
As with all rare species, knowing these elusive felines are close by is no guarantee of seeing one. Which is why a visit to Finca El Encinarejo – an estate named after the Spanish term for the evergreen holm oaks that cover the surrounding hills – is the perfect solution. The experience is the nearest you will get to an African safari on European soil – with the added advantage of a much shorter travel time and no small, bumpy plane rides. As in the African bush, if a lion, leopard or cheetah refuses to show, at least the supporting cast won’t disappoint. Alongside its lynx, the 2,500-acre estate is also home to European bison, wild boar, imperial and golden eagles, black and griffon vultures, hoopoes, genets, badgers, otters and many other species.
In 2019, the lodge was bought by Alex and Jess Hohne, a husband and wife team from South Africa whose respective families have lived in the bush for generations. Also acting as delightful front-of-house hosts, the couple have transformed the estate from an Andalucian hunting reserve into a biodiverse natural environment where rare species flourish and small groups of guests can immerse themselves in nature while staying at a luxury finca.
The pair studied wildlife management and both have a passion for conservation that instantly shines through. While Alex is the driving force out in the field, Jess is the welcoming presence at the end of the day, when the shadows lengthen and delicious candle-lit dinners on the balcony of the finca beckon.
On my first morning I woke early to the sound of eagle owls hooting in the valley below. Eating breakfast on the veranda with my fellow guests, the peace of the morning was broken by the sudden eruption of cackling geese from the nearby hillside where all the finca’s organic produce is grown. Seconds later, a smiling Jess appeared with a fresh pot of coffee. “Most people seem to like me,” she explained, “but Mr and Mrs Basil [the geese] took against me from the day we arrived.”
Led by Alex on our game drives aboard open-topped jeeps, we were joined by Carmen from CBD-Habitat Foundation, which works with the European Nature Trust (Tent) to promote the recovery, conservation, and reintroduction of the Iberian lynx. El Encinarejo is a privately-owned estate that supports the project. Surrounding the lodge is a landscape that seasoned Africa hands would be forgiven for mistaking for the Matobo Hills of Zimbabwe, with its towers of granite boulders staring down like petrified giants into the valleys below.
As the sun began to climb above the looming rock faces and arrows of light broke through, all eyes scanned the forest undergrowth for signs of lynx. “Early in the morning they often lie out on the rocks like leopards,” Carmen told us. “Later in the day they retreat under the pine trees or hollow out little resting areas under the denser mastic trees.”
As we continued our expedition on foot, Carmen pointed out wooden entrances that framed a group of tiny tunnels emerging from the valley floor. “España was named by the Carthaginians. Most people don’t realise it means ‘land of rabbits’. Without rabbits to hunt, there would be no lynx. But rabbit populations have been under threat as well, so these warrens have been dug to protect them.”
In the past, lynx could be found in large numbers all across Europe and were one of the flagship species of the forests of southern Spain. But thanks to hunting for fur and the devastating effect of myxomatosis on rabbits, by the beginning of this century the Iberian lynx was on the fast track to extinction and its numbers had fallen to fewer than 100 individuals. Happily, due to the work of CBD-Habitat and its partners, numbers have now recovered to around 1,100.
After a day spent encountering many of the rare birds and mammals that live on the estate, including golden eagles, hoopoe and wild boar, we rounded a corner to find our road blocked. “Bison had disappeared completely from this area before we re-introduced these guys just last year,” Alex explained as we stared nervously back at a group proudly displaying their distinctive horns and massive arched necks.
“They are Europe’s largest land mammal,” he revealed. “I always say they are built like a bull in front and like a racehorse behind. At top speed they can reach 60kph (37mph). They nearly went extinct due to habitat loss and hunting during the Franco era but during the past decade their numbers have almost trebled to around 7,000 across Europe.”
Bison are a keystone species here, which means that they play a crucial role in the rewilding initiatives supported by Tent. Their size allows them to break open dense undergrowth allowing seeds to disperse, increasing biodiversity and supporting pollinators. Breeding birds also use their winter fur as a nesting material.
Still keeping our fingers crossed that we would see a wild lynx on the estate itself, the next day we visited a nearby centre where lynx are bred and prepared for release into the wild. At more than 3,000 acres, it is a huge site and one of four breeding and reintroduction centres that can be found around Spain, with between 30 and 40 animals released between them each year.
Given the huge investment required for each lynx released, great care is taken to protect the animals. Our shoes had to be carefully disinfected and covered in protective sacks before we were able to approach the enclosure where one of the male adult lynx was being prepared for release. When this incredible creature finally made his appearance, we were all stunned into silence.
“They always look you straight in the eyes with absolutely no fear,” said Carmen later, summing up an encounter we had all now experienced ourselves. “Even in the wild, they are very curious and self-assured. But they do have different personalities. When they are released, some of them stay in much the same place, whereas others roam over huge territories.”
On our final day at El Encinarejo, after several hours tracking and just as we were beginning to lose hope, we were finally rewarded with a perfect sighting of the elusive creature.
As we were walking under a cliff topped by a huge granite outcrop shaped like a kestrel, an explosion of alarm calls from a flock of magpies broke the silence. Like actors in a silent movie, contorted facial expressions and manic pointing were all we could manage as we attempted to stifle our whoops of joy as a beautiful male strolled calmly into our midst.
Stopping briefly, he stared around at this insane cast of mute, gesticulating humans and one by one we froze as his piercing yellow eyes looked directly into our own. Did he really shake his head in disbelief before wandering off again into the trees? I could hardly have blamed him if he had.
One by one we froze as his piercing yellow eyes looked directly into our own