A lynx found dead Sunday at Purgatory Resort has been identified as an 11½-year-old male born in Telluride, wildlife officials said Wednesday.
Representatives with Colorado Parks and Wildlife previously told The Durango Herald the lynx was a 2- to 3-year-old female that was not tagged.
However, at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting Wednesday, Southwest Wildlife Officer Patt Dorsey said the lynx Purgatory ski patrol members recovered was in fact tagged.
“Obviously, we’ve learned more,” CPW spokesman Joe Lewandowski wrote in an emailed response.
Dorsey said it’s unclear whether the lynx found dead last weekend is the same animal captured on a number of videos posted to social media, showing the elusive cat ambling through ski trails.
She said after the dead lynx was handed over to CPW to be tested at a Fort Collins laboratory, wildlife officials found more fresh lynx tracks, adding to the uncertainty.
Regardless, Dorsey said the dead lynx was known to wildlife officials. It was born in 2005 in Telluride, and has likely had many, many offspring.
“That’s really old for a wild cat,” Dorsey said.
The average lifespan for a lynx is up to 15 years. Lewandowski previously said the dead lynx was emaciated, and will be subject to a complete evaluation, the results of which should be available in the next few weeks.
A video of a lynx strolling through the slopes of Purgatory surfaced Dec. 28 – instantly gaining national attention. The video, posted by Durango resident Arrick Hix, now has more than 1 million views.
At least two subsequent videos of a lynx at the resort were posted on social media sites.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
