Mammals of Spain

The Iberian Wildcat in Spain: A Vanishing Predator Caught Between Science, Politics, and Feral Cats

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A quiet disappearance in plain sight

The Iberian wildcat in Spain isn’t a species most people ever notice, and that’s part of the problem. It moves through fragmented woodland and scrub with almost ghost-like secrecy. Yet across southern and eastern Spain, its presence is fading in ways that are becoming harder to ignore.

The Wild cat - Felis sylvestris sylvestris - Gato montes population in Spain is probably more abundant than we think but due to its elusive nature
The Wild cat – Felis sylvestris sylvestris – Gato montes population in Spain is probably declining.

What makes this more complicated is that its decline doesn’t come from a single cause. It’s a mix of pressure points that overlap and reinforce each other.

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Least weasel – Mustela nivalis – Comadreja

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Least weasel – Mustela nivalis – Comadreja

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis), known as the “comadreja” in Spain, is the world’s smallest carnivore—measuring just 16–20 cm in length and weighing 25–45 g. These slender, nocturnal hunters sport seasonal coats—brown in summer, white in winter in colder regions—and feed on small rodents, insects, birds, and reptiles. In Spain, they thrive across diverse habitats, from Pyrenean woodlands to Andalusian fields. Females can produce multiple litters of 3–7 young per year, though wild weasels typically live only two to three years. Despite habitat loss and pesticide threats, conservation efforts help sustain their vital role as natural rodent controllers.

Brown Bear Populations in Spain: Pyrenean Recovery and Cantabrian Stability

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Brown bear 2024 Pyrenees population
Updated 2024 Population Figures Highlight Growth and Ongoing Challenges

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) has been making a cautious comeback in Spain over the last two decades. Two geographically isolated populations—the Pyrenean brown bear and the Cantabrian brown bear—are following different conservation paths. New data from 2024 reveals progress in both regions, alongside some pressing genetic and ecological concerns.

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Iberian Wolf (Canis lupus signatus) Lobo Ibérico

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The best place to see wolves in Spain is in the rolling hills of the Sierra de la Culebra.
  • Spanish: Lobo
  • Catalan: Llop

The Iberian wolf, Canis Lupus, has suffered much persecution over the centuries. Already being eradicated from many countries and, despite a bounty on every head of a wolf during the 1950’s and 60’s. Some small populations of these mammals survived and now receive a partial protection especially when they reside in protected (natural and national park) areas of Spain. (A hunting ban came into force in 2021)

Recent Legislative Changes: Reversal of the 2021 Hunting Ban

In March 2025, the Spanish parliament passed a law targeting “food production waste”, which included an amendment to lift the 2021 ban on wolf hunting north of the Duero River. This decision allows controlled hunting to resume in regions like Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia, and northern Castilla y León, where most of Spain’s Iberian wolves reside. The amendment was supported by parties such as the People’s Party (PP), Vox, Junts, and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV). Read more here.

Read about the 2021 hunting ban of the Iberian wolf over at the Iberia Nature Forum: https://iberianatureforum.com/forums/topic/iberian-wolf-hunting-ban/ Feel free to join in with the topics there! 🙂

Iberian wolf populations are mainly in scattered packs in the forests and plains of north-western Spain whilst the north of Portugal also holds small numbers.

The Junta de Andalucia declared the wolf extinct in Andalucia (the Sierra Morena) in 2023. Read more here.

A few details about the Iberian wolf

The Iberian wolf can reach a height of around 70cm and length of 120cm. The animal is different in colour from the Eurasian wolf by having dark markings on its forelegs, back and tail with white markings on its upper lips. This is the reason for the last part of the scientific name, with signatus meaning “marked”. Males weigh around 40kg with females being of a finer / slimmer build.

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