Colorado lynx gives birth in Wyo.
The female, released four years ago near Creede, made a 225-mile journey
By Theo Stein
Denver Post Staff Writer
A Canada lynx released four years ago in southern Colorado has given birth to three healthy kittens in the Snowy Range of southern Wyoming.
The births, announced Wednesday by Wyoming officials, bring to 20 the number of lynx kittens born this year - further evidence, biologists say, that the southern Rockies have plenty of habitat suitable for the reclusive snow cat. It was the first confirmed record of lynx breeding in southern Wyoming in decades.
"As Colorado gets an established population, you'll see more young animals that pioneer new territories," said Reg Rothwell, a Wyoming state biologist.
Lynx were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2000. The U.S. Forest Service has recently proposed ways to protect habitat for lynx and its main prey, snowshoe hares.
The den is some 225 miles from where the cat was released, near Creede, four years ago. It is the farthest a denning female has gone from the reintroduction area in the Rio Grande National Forest, said Rick Kahn, the Colorado Division of Wildlife's lynx project leader.
Radio-tracking studies by Colorado biologists showed that a few lynx have been moving back and forth across the state line for 18 months.
"But now that she has kittens, they won't be moving back any time soon," Kahn said.
Last week, Colorado and Wyoming biologists hiked to the den in a steep, isolated drainage at 8,000 feet, the lowest lynx den found so far. Wyoming officials are keeping other details of the den site secret to protect the cats.
This spring, Colorado biologists have documented six active lynx dens with 20 young.
Sixteen were found in 2003, the first year reintroduced lynx successfully bred. Six of those kittens have survived their first birthday.
The births have apparently silenced critics who complained the reintroduction program was failing.
"It looks to us, preliminarily, like those cats have to be out there a bit of time before they feel comfortable in establishing a good enough home range that they can successfully raise kittens," said Kahn.
The Wyoming female, trapped in British Columbia and released in 2000, was not known to have bred until this year.
The female, released four years ago near Creede, made a 225-mile journey
By Theo Stein
Denver Post Staff Writer
A Canada lynx released four years ago in southern Colorado has given birth to three healthy kittens in the Snowy Range of southern Wyoming.
The births, announced Wednesday by Wyoming officials, bring to 20 the number of lynx kittens born this year - further evidence, biologists say, that the southern Rockies have plenty of habitat suitable for the reclusive snow cat. It was the first confirmed record of lynx breeding in southern Wyoming in decades.
"As Colorado gets an established population, you'll see more young animals that pioneer new territories," said Reg Rothwell, a Wyoming state biologist.
Lynx were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2000. The U.S. Forest Service has recently proposed ways to protect habitat for lynx and its main prey, snowshoe hares.
The den is some 225 miles from where the cat was released, near Creede, four years ago. It is the farthest a denning female has gone from the reintroduction area in the Rio Grande National Forest, said Rick Kahn, the Colorado Division of Wildlife's lynx project leader.
Radio-tracking studies by Colorado biologists showed that a few lynx have been moving back and forth across the state line for 18 months.
"But now that she has kittens, they won't be moving back any time soon," Kahn said.
Last week, Colorado and Wyoming biologists hiked to the den in a steep, isolated drainage at 8,000 feet, the lowest lynx den found so far. Wyoming officials are keeping other details of the den site secret to protect the cats.
This spring, Colorado biologists have documented six active lynx dens with 20 young.
Sixteen were found in 2003, the first year reintroduced lynx successfully bred. Six of those kittens have survived their first birthday.
The births have apparently silenced critics who complained the reintroduction program was failing.
"It looks to us, preliminarily, like those cats have to be out there a bit of time before they feel comfortable in establishing a good enough home range that they can successfully raise kittens," said Kahn.
The Wyoming female, trapped in British Columbia and released in 2000, was not known to have bred until this year.
