ANIMAL health specialist, Ford Dodge is supplying its Fevaxyn iCHP vaccine, free of charge, to the El Acebuche Breeding Centre for the Iberian lynx in Spain’s recently opened National Park of Donana in Andalucia.

The Iberian lynx is the most endangered big cat in the world with fewer than 120 thought to be left in the wild. Its natural habitat is shrinking fast and increasingly populated by humans, who bring with them a burgeoning domestic cat population. The diseases which affect these domestic cats, such as Herpesvisur and Calicivirus, are now threatening the dwindling lynx population, in addition to more established diseases, such as Feline Panleukopenia.

Fevaxyn iCHP protects the animals against Calicivirus, Herpesvirus and Panleucopenia. Fort Dodge Animal Health products are ‘killed’ vaccines, making them particularly suitable for use with wild animals, such as the Iberian lynx. Most vaccines instead contain ‘live virus’ and when they are injected into different species, the vaccine virus has been known to either directly cause disease or to revert to a virulent forum.

Commenting on the work of the El Acebuche Breeding Centre, Astrid Vargas, project director, said: “Time is running out for the Iberian lynx but the El Acebuche Centre is playing a key role in protecting the limited gene pool of this species, as well as providing detailed information on the animal’s biology.

“Our most important priority is to avoid contamination from the outside, whether from domestic or wild animals. The Fort Dodge vaccines are our first line of defence in protecting our breeding lynxes and their offspring”.

Matthew Rowe, marketing manager at Fort Dodge Animal health, said: “We are committed to supporting the work of organisations, such as the El Acebuche Breeding Centre, and wish its staff great success with their efforts to preserve the Iberian lynx”.