A wildlife camera in Colorado captured images of an "incredibly elusive creature" with a mythical nickname.
The state's Parks and Wildlife Department celebrated National Endangered Species Day in May by posting photos to its social media accounts of a lynx trekking through a thick layer of snow last fall, the Idaho Statesman reported.
Lynx stride 🐾
— Colorado Parks and Wildlife (@COParksWildlife) May 17, 2024
This lynx was spotted by a wildlife camera we set up last fall as part of our proactive lynx monitoring efforts #EndangeredSpeciesDay
Lynx are federally threatened & State endangered but thanks to our reintroduction efforts, CO is now home to approx. 150-250 lynx pic.twitter.com/t3Y3wDya16
According to the agency, the species look similar to bobcats but are distinguished primarily by the size of their paws. Lynx feet are disproportionately large compared to the rest of its body, giving it the nickname "bigfoot."
The animals declined during the 1970s because of trapping, hunting, poisoning, and habitat degradation. Colorado Parks and Wildlife began its seven-year operation to revive the lynx population during the 1990s by reintroducing them to the San Juan Mountains — "one of the highest-profile projects" implemented.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List considers their numbers stable and of "least concern," as much of their population resides in Canada. However, the Endangered Species Coalition, which noted that the lynxes range from the Northeast to the Rocky Mountains in the U.S., said they are threatened in the contiguous 48 states and are particularly vulnerable in Maine, Minnesota, Washington, and Colorado.
Human-caused rising temperatures have melted snow at elevations where the lynxes thrive, while logging and fragmentation have shrunk their available land, driving the cats closer to isolation.
Thus, the department monitors the felines by recording footprints during the winter and setting up trail cameras in forests to ensure their health. "Lynx are federally threatened & State endangered but thanks to our reintroduction efforts, CO is now home to approx. 150-250 lynx," the post read.
Lynxes help maintain a balance in the ecosystem by preying on small animals that reproduce quickly and preventing those populations from ballooning out of control. That makes conservation efforts, like CPW's other initiatives to reintroduce wolves and wolverines to its wilderness, all the more important.
"Look at those mitts! Snow kitty!" someone commented on Facebook.
"I love Lynx! They are like Bigfoot," another wrote on X. "You know they may exist but you rarely get a sighting."
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