Immobilization of the endangered Iberian lynx with xylazine- and ketamine-hydrochloride

A combination of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine hydrochloride (KH) and the sedative xylazine hydrochloride (XH) was used to immobilize 31 wild Iberian lynx (Felis pardina) 45 times at Doñana National Park, Spain. A mean (+/- SE) dose of 4.6 (+/- 0.2) mg/kg KH and 4.0 (+/- 0.2) mg/kg XH resulted in mean (+/- SE) induction time of 5.6 (+/- 0.3) min and mean (+/- SE) first reaction time of 59.3 (+/- 6.5) min. Convulsions occurred four times (9%), but with no noteworthy consequences.This studywas supported by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientIficas, Comision Asesora de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica (projectNo.944),Direccion General de Investigacion Cientifica y Tenica (project No.PB870405), Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia (project No.PB9O-1018). The first author was provided with two predoctoral grants by the Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia and Fundacion Caja de Madrid.Peer reviewe