Although it’s likely you’ll never see one in person, the lynx are most certainly out and about, roaming Colorado's mountainous landscape. Some Colorado Ranches do have lynx wander onto their property. There was a time in history when these beautiful creatures were nonexistent in our state. The lynx population dropped to a staggering low in the early 1900's due to European settlers poaching the animal for its thick fur to sell internationally. The lynx was placed on the endangered species list in 1975, a year after the last lynx was trapped by a hunter in Vail. Big game hunting took this animal away from our land for some time. But in the 1990's, Colorado Parks & Wildlife began devising a plan for their reintroduction.
The reintroduction plan for the lynx took shape in 1999. Colorado Parks & Wildlife brought 41 lynx from Canada and Alaska to Colorado. These 41 lynx were then released wearing monitoring radio and satellite collars. This was an easy way to track their breeding, population, and monitor the geographic span of their habitat. Their range covers approximately 20 square miles. Over roughly seven years, 218 lynx were successfully introduced back into Colorado. These cats now largely reside in the desolate San Juan Mountains and have begun to live that wonderful Colorado life again. It is now estimated that somewhere between 150-250 cats are roaming our back country, an area many people wish they could call home.
Lynx typically weigh between 20 and 30 pounds. They have a very similar stature to that of the bobcat with a few distinct differences. Their feet are much larger, since having larger feet allows them to move swiftly through packed snow. A lynx tail sports a solid black tip and is about half the size of its relatively large hind foot. Their coat is greyish in color during the winter months, and turns to more of a reddish tone during the summertime. Their distinct ear tuft is an easy way to identify a lynx.
Their main source of nutrition is the snowshoe hare, but they also feast on other small mammals like mice. They breed in the winter and, after only nine weeks of gestation, the female lynx gives birth to a litter of around four kittens.
If you spot a lynx while strolling around on your ranch, here a few tips to avoid conflict:
You may never be lucky enough to spot this creature in the wild, unless you happen to be in the right place at the right time. Check out this Lynx who meandered across a ski slope at Purgatory for lucky passersby!
Are you looking for a lifestyle change? Perhaps you would like to be closer to nature and beautiful wildlife, enjoy breathtaking scenery, and live life to the fullest. To learn more about finding the perfect ranch home that suits your needs contact us and we will be happy to show you mountain ranches to fit your needs!
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Dennis R. Saffell, ALC
Broker/Owner
Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties
Dennis@RanchSellers.com
970.531.3200
Sean R. Saffell
Broker Associate
Coldwell Banker Mountain Properties
Sean@RanchSellers.com
970.531.7677
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