Image Credit: FACEBOOK/B.C. Wildlife Park
October 29, 2020 - 2:48 PM
A rescued lynx is recovering at the B.C. Wildlife Park after it was found in the Kamloops area exhibiting abnormal behaviour.
The lynx is recovering at the Fawcett Family Wildlife Health Centre at the wildlife park, according to a post on the park's Facebook page today, Oct. 29.
On Tuesday, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service captured the male lynx and brought it to the wildlife centre for an assessment. It was the same animal spotted earlier this week wandering around the North Shore in Kamloops, although it was reported as a bobcat at the time.
READ MORE: Bobcat spotted out for a stroll in Kamloops
The lynx appeared to be normal, but under further inspection an abdominal infection was found, according to the wildlife park. The cause of the infection is currently unknown and the park is awaiting the diagnostic results. He is is currently resting and is on antibiotics.
"It is fortunate that the B.C. Conservation Officer Service was able to safely capture and bring the lynx to us. Without their support, it is likely that he would have succumbed to this infection. Our rehabilitation team will do everything they can to treat his infection and are hopeful he will pull through," according to the wildlife park Facebook post.
Tracy Reynolds, animal care manager at the park, said it's often difficult to tell a bobcat from a lynx .
"In general lynx are a bit larger, they have longer legs especially on the back legs. While they both have black tips on their tails, on a lynx the black tip extends below the base of the tail and it doesn't on a bobcat. The ear tops on a lynx are also longer," she said. "Even we were looking at it going 'I think it's a lynx' but without actually seeing the creature face-to-face, it's harder to tell."
It's also highly unusual to see this lynx at this elevation as they're typically found at higher elevations, like near Sun Peaks, she said. Statistically it would have been more likely to be a bobcat spotted in the city. He was eating feral cats in the area which could explain why the lynx was not moving on to another location.
With this lynx, fluid was found in its abdomen, which could be from a trauma, like being hit by a car, or even a disease.
"So for us at this point we don't know," Reynolds said.
They're not out of the woods yet.
"It's quite a serious infection... so it could succumb despite our best efforts. We're always consciously optimistic."
— This story was updated at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020 to include comment from the B.C. Wildlife Park.
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