Research overview: managing feline leukemia virus risk across Iberian lynx populations

After a virulent feline leukemia virus outbreak struck Donana Iberian lynx, disease management became central to recovery of the species. This overview synthesizes the response and ongoing strategy: routine FeLV testing of captured lynx, vaccination, control of infected and free-roaming domestic cats, and careful screening before translocations between the Donana and Sierra Morena nuclei. It examines how disease risk shapes the broader metapopulation plan, including captive breeding and reintroduction, and the tension between connecting populations for genetic health and the danger of moving pathogens with them. The synthesis frames FeLV as a persistent management constraint rather than a solved problem. It aims to show how a single outbreak reshaped conservation protocols for one of the world’s most endangered cats and embedded epidemiology into every management decision.