Colorado Lynx Reintroduction

Twenty years ago, Colorado Division of Wildlife (now Colorado Parks and Wildlife) embarked on a venture to reintroduce the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) to the state of Colorado. 

The Lynx Reintroduction Program is one of the great success stories of American wildlife reintroduction, particularly in the state of Colorado. Now Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) are looking back to that pivotal time in the late 1990s when the Canada lynx was reintroduced to the southwestern portion of the state. The success of the lynx is of particular interest now, twenty years later, with gray wolf (Canis lupis) reintroduction into Colorado on the agenda for CPW in the next few years.

The story of the lynx reintroduction to Colorado is one that I find as fascinating as the wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park a few years prior. However, the former is more personal because I was involved, to some small extent, in the process.  

My dad has worked for Colorado Parks and Wildlife for over thirty years and back in the late 1990s, he brought me along to go pick up a couple of lynx from Denver International Airport that had recently arrived from Canada. 

I remember looking inside one of the crates through the bars and being hissed at and swatted by the animal inside. Of course, the lynx were scared and stressed after their long journey, so I couldn't much blame them for not wanting to be ogled. After we picked up the lynx, we drove them all the way down south to the Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Del Norte, CO. 

At the time, Frisco Creek was operated by Susan and Herman Dieterich. This was the place, I was told, where the lynx would hang out for a while until they were ready to be released into the wild. According to a 2004 article from Colorado Central Magazine, "The Dieterichs are credited with carefully preparing dozens of the tuft-eared, snow-faring cats for release into the wild at a time when little was known about the elusive species" [1].

While we were at Frisco Creek, Susan Dieterich showed me around their various facilities where they cared for injured animals and even young ones who had been abandoned for whatever reason. I remember particularly liking the fox Beanie Babies for fox kits to cuddle up with while they grew strong enough to release back into the wild. 

The Lynx Reintroduction Program was a massive success and we now have a stable population in the state of Colorado. It was an amazing experience for me to 'help' my dad with his role in the project. 

I credit my time at Frisco Creek, as well as my dad's passion for wildlife and nature, for having fueled my own interest in the natural world. Not everyone has been as fortunate as I to have the opportunities of seeing beautiful, wild animals up close. Regardless, everyone can share in the interest of wildlife conservation by following such stories as the Colorado Lynx Reintroduction Program. 

Checkout this episode on the lynx reintroduction by Colorado Outdoors - the Podcast for Colorado Parks and Wildlife for further information on the success story of the lynx in Colorado.

Sources & Further Reading

[1] Malmsbury, Todd. "The unplanned wildlife rehabilitation center." Colorado Central Magazine, 2004. Web. https://coloradocentralmagazine.com/the-unplanned-wildlife-rehab-center/.  

[2] "Lynx Reintroduction Program." Colorado Parks & Wildlife. CPW.state.co.us. Web. https://cpw.state.co.us/lynxresearch.