Awareness, education, and scientific training are essential to all conservation breeding programmes. Education and awareness efforts should be focused on changing prevalent attitudes that contribute to habitat destruction and species extinction. One advantage enjoyed by conservation breeding programmes is their ability to gain public attention, particularly if the animal in question is charismatic and attractive to the broader public. The Iberian lynx is one such case, and raising public awareness for the need for habitat conservation to guarantee survival of the species in the wild is one of the Programme´s objectives. It is important to emphasize that breeding and keeping lynxes in captivity, with no hope of ever returning them to the wild or of recovering the natural populations would be a pointless exercise. The Breeding Programme encourages, cooperates with, and supports media interest in the Iberian lynx, while taking every opportunity to remind the public of the primary importance of habitat conservation.

As part of its training efforts, El Acebuche Center organizes on-site internships for recent college graduates interested in acquiring first hand knowledge on the Iberian Lynx Conservation Programme  In addition, the Programme carries out a capacity-building plan aimed at preparing professionals for working on endangered species conservation as well as sensitizing the general public and decision-makers about the importance of conserving habitat for the recovery of this charismatic felid.