lynx

Mr Metelskiy captured a serene image of a lynx stretching in the evening sun, blending into the wilderness.

On Thursday the IUCN, which categorises species according to the level of risk they face in a "red list", bumped the Iberian lynx from "endangered" to "vulnerable" after a significant surge in numbers.

In 2001, there were only 62 mature Iberian lynx — medium-sized, mottled brown cats with characteristic pointed ears and a pair of beard-like tufts of facial hair — on the Iberian Peninsula.

Frigid winters, food scarcity, intense competition for territories and the threat of becoming prey to large predators like the Canada lynx are just some of the trials they face.

A broader past could mean a brighter future for Canada lynx in the U.S., according to recent research.