Lynx are a threatened species that went virtually extinct in Colorado due to logging, trapping, poisoning, and development in the 1970s. A decade ago, wildlife biologists began a restoration effort by releasing over 200 adults from Alaska and Canada in state. However, no kittens had been seen for the past two years.
Encouraging news finally arrived this Spring with sightings of ten newborns across five dens!
June 28th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Kitteh!
I didn’t realize they were almost extinct. I’ve seen very few bobcats but always thought that might be just because they prowl at night and aren’t keen on being around humans.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
полезные ссылки
Lynx are a threatened species that went virtually extinct in Colorado due. . .[...]
June 28th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Happy to see the comeback, they are sooo cute!
June 28th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
MadScientist: I’m not sure if this is the bobcat but the Canadian lynx which is a larger cat and more threatened across it’s range. Bobcats and Canadian lynx are both active the most around dawn and dusk along with avoiding people so you’re unlikely to see them unless you’re lucky. Bobcats are common here in Maine but in my entire life I’ve maybe seen one a half dozen times though I see their tracks quite often.
June 29th, 2009 at 1:59 am
Thanks Noadi – I thought the wildcat in Colorado would be the same as the one in Arizona. I haven’t seen their tracks frequently either although I’ve seen a lot of deer and javolina tracks and the occasional coyote track and loads of snake tracks.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:19 am
The Canadian lynx was reintroduced to Colorado in 1999. They first found kittens in 2006, and in 2007 several of the adults were apparently poached. It’s good to see they’ve made up for the ones that were killed, hopefully there are a lot more of them around.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Very cute, but I bet they grow up to be cats.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Sunday Snog, and now newly discovered Lynx babies. There’s hope for a brighter future yet!
June 29th, 2009 at 11:37 am
I live in Chicago, last February Bobcat tracks were found in a Cook County forest preserve! Officials couldn’t disclose the location because my neighbors are filthy animals.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Could someone explain the proper use of the word “extinct”? I mean if these cats are “common” in another part of the country is “extinct” the right word? Is the population described here genetically unique or the same species as the ones that are common?
I think this is an important distinction for when we oil up a whole “Save the (insert animal here)” campaign. Extinct might have more punch when it is reserved for situations like the condor and the whooping crane not a dimished population island separate from a large self renewing population.
Just sayin’.
June 29th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Chemist: “Extirpation” is a good word for regional extinction.
July 1st, 2009 at 2:59 am
@LiberalChemist: good point. “Extinct” means gone the way of the dodo – none left alive on the planet. I had the impression that the kitteh of Colorado was dead and gone and a replacement species of kitteh was brought in from Canada just so there could be some type of mid-sized wild kitteh in there.
There are numerous examples of specific animal species which have disappeared from some regions but are still found in others and are not believed to be in danger of extinction. Nor would it be surprising if some people genuinely believed a species was doomed to extinction because of local decline while the same species was still thriving elsewhere.