Captured lynx moving to Detroit Zoo

The Canada lynx that was captured near Harbor Beach this past week, is shown here receiving care from the Howell Nature Center. On Wednesday, the lynx was transported to the Detroit Zoo, where it will be receiving additional care and evaluations, before it is decided what the next course of action is for the animal. (Photo courtesy of the Howell Nature Center) less The Canada lynx that was captured near Harbor Beach this past week, is shown here receiving care from the Howell Nature Center. On Wednesday, the lynx was transported to the Detroit Zoo, where it will be ... more Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Captured lynx moving to Detroit Zoo 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

DETROIT — The Canada Lynx that was captured on a farm near Harbor Beach and taken to the Howell Nature Center this week, is being transported to the Detroit Zoo for further evaluation.

“(Wednesday), it was in the process of being transported to the Detroit Zoo,” said Dan Kennedy, the DNR’s endangered species coordinator. “It’s no longer at the Howell Nature Center. The reason for that transfer is because the Detroit Zoo has the expertise and the facilities to do a fantastic job of taking care of the lynx.”

The Howell Nature Center reported on Tuesday that the lynx was doing well in their care, but additional resources were needed to include a full physical and behavioral assessment.

Kennedy said the goal, for right now, is to have the Detroit Zoo's wildlife veterinarian do a thorough evaluation of the lynx.

" ... and once we have that in hand, the Michigan DNR will confer with the Detroit Zoo and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine the next steps. We want a better understanding of the animal’s health before we make any decisions on what’s best for the lynx.”

Kennedy noted there were no significant health issues with the lynx but he was waiting on results from the zoo's evaluation.

“It appears to be healthy, but we’re still waiting to see and let a professional wildlife veterinarian do a thorough evaluation of the animal. Hopefully that will happen either today or tomorrow," he told the Tribune on Wednesday. "It’s my understanding from field reports that the animal was doing OK.”

While the lynx will be receiving care from the Detroit Zoo, it is unlikely it will be staying there permanently, as the DNR is working on the next steps toward releasing the animal back into the wild.

The Canada Lynx is not naturally from the Thumb of Michigan, as there is not a large enough prey-base for the animal to survive, so the DNR is unsure of where it may be released.

“I haven’t had any conversations about where the appropriate place is, if we do release,” Kennedy said. “Right now, we’re just focused on getting the animal the best care that it needs. Once that evaluation is done, and we know that the lynx is healthy, then we will start talking about where the appropriate location would be to release it. We would like to find a location that has the best chance for this animal to survive. Where that is? I don’t know.”

While it was reported that the lynx is female, and that there is another male lynx in the area, Kennedy said the DNR is working on confirming both of those facts.

“We don’t know that the one that was captured was a female,” Kennedy said. “I know that the folks that caught it, thought it was, but I would say that we’re waiting to do an analysis because it can be difficult to determine the gender of a lynx because they have such thick fur and that can make it a little difficult. We’ll take a look at that and once the veterinarian does the analysis, we’ll be able to determine the gender of the one that is currently on its way to the Detroit Zoo.”

“We’re not sure that there is a second one,” he added. “We understand that there were some reports from folks that they saw two, but we are currently gathering some additional evidence. Our staff is currently working in the area, continuing to evaluate and monitor whether or not there is a second lynx.”

Pictures of two different lynx were captured in the Harbor Beach area by a photographer, Doug Regentin, over the weekend. Those were published by numerous news outlets, including the Huron Daily Tribune.