0:05
The Canada lynx once graced America's Pacific Northwest, but the destruction of its habitat over hunting and climate change has decimated the US population.
0:16
To jump start a new population, wildlife biologist Rose Piccianini and her team from the Colleville Indian Tribe safely capture healthy links in Canada where they are plentiful, transplant them to Washington State.
0:31
They hope to capture and transplant a total of 50 Canada links over the five year program.
0:39
I caught up with Rose on one of her daily expeditions.
0:42
We're heading up into the Beaverdale Mountain range.
0:44
It's going to be an exciting day.
0:46
So yeah, we've got about 30 traps to check.
0:49
You know, high is the elevation we'll be driving.
0:51
Yeah, we're going to be going up, up close to 6000 feet today.
0:55
So there are plenty still here in BC Plenty still here is robust.
1:01
You're taking them across the border into the US They'll be in the state of Washington.
1:05
I've spent a lot of time in my life in the wilderness.
1:08
I've never seen a bobcat.
1:10
I've never seen the lynx.
1:11
The odds that people in the woods may get to see the lynx?
1:15
Pretty rare.
1:16
We're out seven days a week and some of our teams still hasn't seen a lynx not in a trap.
1:22
Well, I'm hoping to see my first one very soon.
1:25
Me too.
1:28
We reach the first trap and find the first cat of the day.
1:32
There is a small cat in there.
1:34
I can't tell what species it is yet.
1:37
Either way, by the size, I know that we're going to release it here on site.
1:40
Then we'll review the game camera footage and make sure that mom was with it.
1:44
It's a feisty young bobcat.
1:47
There are four species of lynx.
1:50
Canada lynx are one, Bobcats, the smallest of the four are another.
1:58
We released the Bob kitten and then at the next trap, the moment we've been hoping for something big isn't when our roses traps.
2:07
We got the lynx, we got the lynx, We're rolling with the lynx.
2:09
So you're happy.
2:11
So we got a cat.
2:12
Oh, lynx right here.
2:13
We got a lynx right here.
2:17
Oh, that's a big one.
2:17
That's a big.
2:19
Yeah.
2:20
You just started sitting there looking at us.
2:22
So calm.
2:24
Now that we've got a lynx, the clock starts ticking.
2:28
Me and you will go in alone and and we'll cover the kennel.
2:32
We've got just 24 hours to process this lynx and transport it from Canada to the US, where it will be released back into the wild tomorrow.
2:42
I help Rose carefully coax our precious cargo from the trap into a carrier.
2:51
Cover the doors.
2:51
Not right.
3:04
That was amazing.
3:10
This Canada lynx will spend the night at a processing station where it will be sedated, given a full health exam fitted with a tracking collar.
3:19
We learned this cat is a female.
3:22
Great news.
3:23
The hope is she'll start a family of kittens in her new home and you'll notice how thin she feels.
3:29
I would consider this an excellent condition cat.
3:32
These animals, they're always on the thin side.
3:38
Tomorrow, she'll go through Canadian customs and be released into the Wilds of the Colleville Indian Reservation.
3:50
These animals are sacred to our people.
3:53
We're really grateful for you guys bringing her.
3:57
Her arrival will help revive America's fragile population of this elusive predator.
