Lynx Populations May Be Rebounding

In Colorado, lynx populations have faced great turmoil over the years. As of the early 1970s, the lynx was no longer existent in their native Colorado mountains. The downfall of the cat was due to a number of causes, including trapping, poisoning, logging and urban development. The lynx is currently listed as threatened under the endangered species act.

Since 1999, 200 lynx have been introduced to Colorado in order to increase population numbers. The lynx were taken from either Canada or Alaska to then be released in Colorado. However, even with this knowledge, scientists are uncertain how many lynx are actually in the state.

However, things may be looking up for the lynx population, as 10 lynx kittens were born this spring. The kittens were not born to the same mother, as each lynx female can only give birth to 1-5 kittens per litter. To be exact, the 10 cubs were found mixed between five different dens. All in all, there were seven males and three females who were born and survived.

For the past two years the scientists studying the lynx in Colorado had found no kittens. This is thought to be due to the diminishing numbers of the snowshoe hare, which is the main prey of the lynx. Scientists are hopeful that the new cubs are the beginning of a positive trend for the species.