"You're free," whispered wildlife officer Bill Andree. But No. 7 didn't seem to get it. The Canadian lynx remained crouched on the grass bed in her cage. After five minutes of hesitation, No. 7 slowly stepped out of her cage and sprang forward into the Colorado wilderness. "It's been a long trip," said Gene Byrne, a wildlife biologist. "I'm happy to see them back running in the woods of Colorado at last."
No. 7 is the first of as many as 110 Canadian lynx that state and federal officials hope to put back into the Colorado terrain. The lynx thrives in Canada but has not been seen in Colorado since 1973.
Three-year-old No. 7 is one of 11 wildcats that arrived in Colorado after a 1,700-mile truck ride from British Columbia, Canada, where they were caught.
The tuft-eared cats weigh as much as 22 pounds and have big flat paws that keep them from sinking into snow. Lynx prefer areas above 8,000 feet. They are being released into the 9,200-foot-high Weminuche Wilderness area of the San Juan Mountains. The lynx will wear radio collars so biologists can track them.
While some ranchers are against the lynx's release, the cats pose no risk to cattle--or humans. "The lynx is very secretive," says Byrne. "It's not going to interact with people."