0:01
The Canada Lynx is nearly impossible to spot in the wild.
0:06
They're naturally elusive, solitary, and wary of humans.
0:11
One of the few places you can get up close to 1 is at Zoo Montana in Billings, Mt.
0:18
These are words I never thought I'd actually say, but I'm inside of the linked enclosure.
0:22
Look at this beauty behind me.
0:23
The Canada lynx is threatened in a lot of different ways, in particular climate change, but is a fierce, interesting, really beautiful animal that we've got to work hard to protect.
0:35
Speaking of fierce, I'm here to meet fierce up.
0:39
Fierce by nature and fierce by name.
0:43
There she comes.
0:48
Yeah, she might.
0:48
She might get on your back and she's not going to hurt you.
0:50
I'm.
0:50
I'm OK with that as long as you guys are.
0:54
So this is fierce.
0:55
She's an amazing animal.
0:56
And she was actually an ex pet, if you can believe that.
0:59
And here in the state of Montana, it is legal to own a lynx.
1:02
We do not think it's a good idea because they get big, they spray, they get strong.
1:08
So not a good idea to have one as a pet.
1:10
Get a house cat as a pet.
1:12
Do not get a lynx.
1:14
They are curious, they are fiercely independent just like any cat is, and they have the same behaviors in terms of what they like to do for play.
1:23
I was struck by the size but also the beauty of this animal.
1:27
Beautiful but deadly.
1:29
They're perfectly adapted for hunting in the snow.
1:34
You're going to know the first of those giant feet.
1:36
So those big feet are almost like big snowshoes to walk on top of the snow.
1:39
You know, a big portion of their diet are snowshoe hair.
1:41
And so to be able to, you know, walk on that snow and chase those quick animals, they have to have those big feet.
1:47
The problem with lynx is the fact that their habitats are getting fragmented.
1:52
And so they have large ranges as well.
1:54
And so as those habitats get fragmented, you know, they're losing out on crucial hunting grounds.
1:59
How does climate change play a role?
2:02
Yeah, huge.
2:03
You know, and for so many reasons.
2:04
It can impact prey, which is a big part of it can also fuel wildfires.
2:09
You know, some of these wildfires that we're seeing out in the far West are just absolutely devastating lynx habitat.
2:14
And the problem is not only it affects the lynx, the animal itself, but again, the prey and in particular snowshoe hare.
2:19
We need to do more for these animals to save those populations.
2:25
Fortunately, a new chapter has begun for the Canada lynx.
2:29
I'm on my way to Kalauna, British Columbia to meet with a wildlife biologist leading the charge.
2:36
Canada lynx are threatened in the lower 48 states, but they are plentiful north of the border.
2:43
To jump start a new American population, wildlife biologist Rose Piccinini and her team from the Colville Indian Tribe safely capture healthy Canada Links and transplant them to Washington State.
2:57
Rose ventures out into the wild every day to check dozens of traps.
3:01
She says during the snowy season.
3:04
We're starting first thing in the morning and checking the traps, you know, all day.
3:09
They hope to capture and transplant a total of 50 Canada links over the five year program.
3:15
Each trap is fitted with a game camera.
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Come in and each day you're able to review the activity of the previous night.
3:23
We have hours and hours of lynx behavior out here in the woods, which is really helpful when we're trying to capture them based on their behavior.
3:31
We also get lots of skunks and you know, other species than non-targets as well.
3:36
So we know if a cat came through or a bear or a skunk or whatever came through.
3:41
It didn't take long for this black bear to totally destroy one of roses traps.
3:49
I caught up with Rose on one of her daily expeditions.
3:53
We're heading up into the Beaverdale mountain range.
3:55
It's going to be an exciting day.
3:57
So yeah, we've got about 30 traps to check.
4:00
You know, high is the elevation we'll be driving.
4:02
Yeah.
4:02
We're going to be going up, up close to 6000 feet today.
4:06
So there are plenty still here in BC Plenty still here is robust.
4:11
You're taking them across the border into the US They'll be in the state of Washington.
4:16
I've spent a lot of time in my life in the wilderness.
4:19
I've never seen a bobcat.
4:21
I've never seen a lynx.
4:22
The odds that people in the woods may get to see a lynx?
4:26
Pretty rare.
4:27
We're out seven days a week and some of our teams still hasn't seen a lynx.
4:32
Not in a trap.
4:33
Well, I'm hoping to see my first one very soon.
4:36
Me too.
4:38
We reach the first trap and find the first cat of the day.
4:43
There is a small cat in there.
4:44
I can't tell what species it is yet.
4:47
Either way, by the size, I know that we're going to release it here on site.
4:51
Then we'll review the game camera footage and make sure that mom was with it.
4:55
It's a feisty young bobcat.
4:58
There are four species of Links Canada Links are one Bobcats, the smallest of the four are another.
5:08
We released the Bob kitten and then at the next trap, the moment we've been hoping for something big, gives him winter roses traps.
5:17
We got the links, we got the links, we’re rolling with the links.
5:20
So you're happy.
5:22
So we got a cat, a links right here.
5:23
We got a links right here.
