This project has developed a series of measures to improve the conservation status of endangered species, especially the Iberian imperial eagle, Iberian lynx and Bonelli’s eagle in private natural spaces, working through land stewardship agreements.

In 2015 WWF was a beneficiary of the project “SOS Conejo. Development of the bases for a correct management of the rabbit in Spain”, whose purpose has been the conservation and management of the rabbit, a basic piece of the Mediterranean ecosystem, since it constitutes the basis of a large part of its trophic chains and also has great socio-economic importance as a small game, on the other hand it causes damage to agriculture, which can lead to significant economic losses. In turn, this project has developed a series of measures to improve the conservation status of threatened species, especially the Iberian imperial eagle, Iberian lynx and Bonelli’s eagle in private natural spaces, working through land stewardship agreements.

The actions have been based on three pillars:

– Threat detection and characterization.
– Improvement of the trophic resource: Measures aimed at promoting the presence of rabbits.
– Formation both in good practices and in land stewardship, aimed at owners and managers of private estates.

The species favoured by the implementation of the project are the Iberian imperial eagle, the Iberian lynx, the Bonelli’s eagle, the black vulture, the black stork, the golden eagle, the booted eagle, the red kite and the wildcat.

In general, the actions carried out have served to maintain and meet the objective of improving knowledge and management of rabbit populations in Spain. In this way, we will reach a conservation of endangered species, such as the Iberian lynx and the imperial eagle, which depend almost entirely on rabbit populations. Instead of acting directly on the species as has traditionally been done, the goal is to focus on its main food source, improving rabbit populations and rabbit management. This method is much less invasive and requires much less management of protected species and directly attacks the root of the problem.

This project has made it possible to write and collect a large number of information about the wild rabbit in the Iberian Peninsula, and it has also been possible to work with different groups (hunters, farmers, conservationists and administrations) to create the draft National Strategy for this species. Finally, this project has done a great job of dissemination through participation in conferences, publication of articles, development of the website and dissemination through social networks.