Research overview: assisted colonization and climate-tracking translocation for lynx

Because climate is shifting where suitable Iberian lynx habitat will lie, conservationists have debated assisted colonization, deliberately establishing populations in areas projected to become suitable, even outside the historical range. This overview surveys the rationale, drawn from climate-informed metapopulation modeling, alongside the ecological and ethical risks of moving a species into novel areas. It reviews how reintroduction site selection has increasingly incorporated future climate suitability rather than only past occurrence. The synthesis uses the Iberian lynx as a leading real-world example of climate-adaptive translocation, illustrating both the promise of getting ahead of range shifts and the caution required when intervening in dynamic, uncertain systems.