Dear HCN,
After reading Erika
Trautman’s article, “Will listing hurt the Colorado lynx?” (HCN,
1/21/02: Will listing hurt the Colorado lynx?), I decided to do
more research about the reintroduction program in Colorado. One of
the more crucial points of the article seemed to be buried at the
end of the article. Tonya Shenk, head lynx researcher at the
Colorado Division of Wildlife, said:
“There has
always been a question mark of whether there was ever a viable
population of lynx in Colorado. We know that they can survive here,
but they might not be able to reproduce here.”
To
date, biologists at the Colorado Division of Wildlife have no
evidence of reproduction in the state since the reintroduction
program began in February 1999.
The Colorado
Division of Wildlife is concerned with growth of ski areas, the
number of lynx available for relocation into Colorado from Canada,
and the listing of the species. However, there comes a time when
the Colorado Division of Wildlife has to consider what really
matters. Can the Canadian lynx survive in
Colorado?
It seems that in this situation there
is a very thin line between helping a threatened species and
continually putting an animal into a poor living
environment.
The Division has a wonderful
opportunity to help the lynx, but there comes a time when they have
to say enough is enough. So far, of the 96 lynx that they have
brought to Colorado, 40 have died. The leading known cause of death
is starvation.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife
needs to focus on the possibility of success rather than the
availability of more lynx from Canada. Before more animals are
brought to Colorado, the Division should make sure that the
reintroduction program could work.
Kara Damon
Gunnison,
Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline But, can they reproduce?.
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