These interventions, funded by the Community under the LIFE program, are taking place on the IP8 (EN260) between kilometre (km) 22 and km 23.100, in the municipality of Serpa; on the IC27, between km 27.500 and km 31.500, in the municipality of Alcoutim; and on the BR122, between km 44.500 and km 46.500, in the municipality of Mértola.

Since roadkill is "one of the leading causes of mortality for the Iberian lynx," IP, as a partner in the LYNXCONNECT Project, has been implementing measures on the most critical roads, such as installing warning panels and road signs, adapting safe underpasses, installing species-appropriate fences, installing speed cameras, and clearing vegetation along the roadsides to increase visibility for drivers and the animals.

In 2024, leveraging lynx monitoring through the LoRA system, which allows them to be located in real time, IP established a partnership with the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) and the Waze Portugal Community to alert drivers using the app to the proximity of the animals near the roads.

The system is currently operating on the EN122, EN123, and IC27 highways in the Guadiana Valley area.

Alerts are triggered as soon as animals enter the 200-meter-wide virtual territory adjacent to the roads on both sides of the road.

"This technology is expected to play a key role in reducing accidents, safeguarding the species' well-being and road safety," says IP.

The "LYNXCONNECT" project, which succeeds "IBERLINCE," brings together 22 Iberian entities with the goal of creating a functional metapopulation of Iberian lynx, strengthening the genetic link between the populations in Portugal and Spain.

Since 2015, the reintroduced population in the Guadiana Valley has grown from 107 to 354 in 2024, of which 67 are breeding females and 110 are cubs.

The expansion, from the reintroduction area in the municipality of Mértola, to adjacent regions, such as the municipalities of Almodôvar, Serpa, Ferreira do Alentejo, Alcoutim and Castro Marim, confirms the success of the plan.