The animal, called Niassa, was born at the Captive Reproduction centre in Silves and had been released into the Guadiana Valley reintroduction zone in 2017, where other lynxes had already established themselves.

The cat was found o non 14 April by an ICNF technician in the central reservation of the A22, near an area of woods.

The ICNF said the animal appeared well fed, weighted about 11 kilos but showed no signs of gestation.

This was the fourth lynx to be run over in Portugal since the reintroduction process began three years ago, but only two animals had been released in the Guadiana.