The spatial organization of the endangered Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus (Temminck, 1827), was studied in Dofiana National Park, south-western Spain, between 1983 and1992. Thirty-six individuals (19 males and 17 females), including 24 adults (13 males and 1 1 females) were radio-tracked, providing 13,950 locations during 17,l I 1 radio-tracking days. Iberian lynxes were essentially solitary (95.9% of simultaneous locations apart) and interactions were restricted to rearing activities by females. Adult associations were uncommon. Seasonal (four months) home ranges were larger for adult resident males (10.3 r+_ 1.9 km2; n = 5 ) than for females (8.7 2 2.4km2; n = 5). Lynxes used a central portion of the home range intensively ('core area', 50% Harmonic Mean) with similar size for males (3.7 2 0.7 km2) and females (3.2 2 0.8 km2), representing, on average, a 37.6 ? 1.5% and 36.6 t 4.5% of male and female home ranges, respectively. lntrasexual home-range overlap was usually low between same-sex neighbourn (15.1 2 6.6% males and 22.1 ? 3.3% for females), but some instances of high overlap (>25%), both among males and females, were recorded, corresponding to spatial interactions between neighbours which usually ended with the displacement of one of the contenders. Core areas were mainly exclusive except during these spatial interactions. Actual fights resulting from these interactions seem more frequent than previously reported for other medium-sized solitary felids, likely promoted by high competition for optimum territories due to saturation of the population. The Iberian lynx spatial organization in Dofiana works as a land tenure system, as described for other solitary felids. Although the mating system tends to monogamy, with male home range overlapping mainly that of one female, individual variations to polygyny were also found.

Data are presented on mortality rates of the Iberian lynx Felis pardina in Doñana National Park and the surrounding area in southwestern Spain, collected from 1983 to 1989. Data from radio-tagged lynxes and records of lynx mortality were used to assess causes of death. Annual mortality rate, estimated by using the Heisey and Fuller methodology, was 037. Human activities were the main cause of lynx mortality in this mainly fully protected area, either directly (illegal trapping: 417%; road traffic: l67%; hunting with dogs: 83%) or indirectly (artesian wells: 8.3%). Only 83% of the annual mortality can be related unequivocally to natural causes. Sex, age, social status, year, and home range situation influenced mortality rates. The trend of this lynx population during the seven years of study revealed serious threats to its survival. This case study exemplified how a small population can approach extinction because of increased mortality due to habitat fragmentation, despite full protection of the main portion of its range.

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A combination of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine hydrochloride (KH) and the sedative xylazine hydrochloride (XH) was used to immobilize 31 wild Iberian lynx (Felis pardina) 45 times at Doñana National Park, Spain. A mean (+/- SE) dose of 4.6 (+/- 0.2) mg/kg KH and 4.0 (+/- 0.2) mg/kg XH resulted in mean (+/- SE) induction time of 5.6 (+/- 0.3) min and mean (+/- SE) first reaction time of 59.3 (+/- 6.5) min. Convulsions occurred four times (9%), but with no noteworthy consequences.

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