IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Shenk, T.M. | |
| Post-release monitoring of lynx reintroduced to Colorado - Annual progress report for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, December 2001: Interim Report - Preliminary Results | |
| 2001 Full Book | |
In an effort to establish a viable population of lynx (_Lynx canadensis_) in Colorado 96 lynx were reintroduced into southwestern Colorado in 1999 and 2000. Release protocols were evaluated by monitoring released individuals through radiotelemetry. Numbers of mortalities and causes of death were documented and this information used to modify subsequent release protocols in an effort to attain the highest probability of survival for released lynx. In general, release protocols were modified by increasing length of time lynx were kept at the Colorado holding facility, delaying time of release to spring, and releasing non-pregnant females. Mortality due to starvation decreased as earlier protocols were modified. A suite of hypotheses was developed to model early survival and factors that may have influenced survival, including sex, age on capture, pregnancy, time spent in the Colorado holding facility, and release time. Models were evaluated using AICc model selection and model averaging used to estimate survival rates. There have been 39 confirmed deaths. Human-caused mortality factors such as gunshot and vehicle collision are the highest cause of death for lynx > 8 months post-release. Locations of each lynx were collected through aerial- or satellite-tracking to document movement patterns. Initial dispersal movement patterns and distances traveled by lynx released in 1999 were highly variable and more extreme than movements of lynx released in 2000. Movement patterns suggest lynx are pairing in March, but successful reproduction has not been documented to date. Snow-tracking results indicate the primary winter prey are snowshoe hare (_Lepus americanus_) and red squirrel (_Tamiasciurus hudsonicus_), with waterfowl and other mammals and birds forming a minor part of the winter diet. Site-scale habitat data collected from snow-tracking efforts indicate Engelmann spruce (_Picea engelmannii_) and subalpine fir (_Abies lasiocarpa_) are the most common forest stands used by lynx in southwestern Colorado. There is a seasonal trend in use of willows (_Salix _spp.) with use peaking in November and being at its lowest in May and June. |
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