Plesae help the Iberian lynx - send email calling for traffic control to reduce road deaths

[Guest guest]

The Iberian Lynx is the world's most endangered cat species, with less than

100 remaining and very few in captivity.

Their largest remaining population centres around the Donana National Park

in Spain. Development around the park has not been controlled, and both

legal and illegal roads replete with masses of traffic pass through and

along the border of the park. Road deaths are one of the major causes of

fatality of the remaining Iberian Lynx, at least 10 were killed in this

manner last year, which has a large impact on such a small remaining

population.

 

Some measures have been proposed my the local government to slow traffic

speed limits and create 2 nature bridges which Lynx would hopefully use.

However the government is under pressure NOT to implement these measures,

particularly from business owners in the nearby resort area. Therefore, it

is imperative that the government recieves positive comments telling them to

implement the traffic control measures and reduce the risk of more lynx

deaths.

 

PLEASE HELP BY SENDING EMAILS AND LETTERS TO:

 

Excmo. Sr Presidente de la Junta de Andalucía,

Dr Manuel Chaves, Palacio de San Telmo,

Avenida de Roma, 41071 Sevilla, SPAIN

email: manuel.chaves

 

EXAMPLE LETTER:

 

Dear Dr. Chaves,

I am writing to you concerning the Iberian Lynx population in

and around Doñana National Park in Andalucía, one of only

two surviving breeding populations. In 2006, at least 5 lynx

from this small population were killed by road vehicles,

representing an unsustainable level of mortality for the species.

I note that in late 2006 a number of announcements were made

by officials from your government concerning proposals to

reduce the impact of road vehicles on Doñana's lynxes,

including reducing traffic speeds/volumes, building new nature

bridges, and installing more fences and fauna underpasses.

I call upon your government to urgently implement these

proposals, including reducing the speed limit on the busy El

Rocio to Matalascañas Road, where many lynx have been run

over in recent years. The needs of local people for transport

should be better met through more sustainable means than

private cars, including with the development of a new tramway.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS]