New habitat study reveals biggest challenges for Colorado’s Canada lynx [Video]

A new study revealed the biggest threats to Colorado’s Canada lynx habitat and insight into solutions that can bolster the success of the iconic animals’ population after their reintroduction more than two decades ago.

The new research was published as a collaborative project by scientists with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), and the University of Wyoming, and focused on the southern Rocky Mountains, but particularly in western Colorado. They found that land management, wildfires, and habitat alteration or loss are the most notable risks to Canada lynx survival. About one-third of the areas where lynx are likely to live overlap with those disturbances.

These iconic wild cats came back from the brink of extinction in Colorado in the late 20th century. They are currently listed as endangered in Colorado and are federally listed as threatened, however the latter may change under President-elect Donald Trump.