A 3-month-old Canadian lynx kit was euthanized after apparently suffering a spinal cord injury at a Wisconsin wildlife exhibit.
Sadly, just a few days after an adorable debut at the Mackenzie Environmental Education Center (MEEC) in Poynette, WI, one of two Canadian lynx kits is now dead.
According to wkowtv.com, a MEEC employee discovered the young lynx unable to move its hind legs. The cat was taken to UW Veterinary Center, where it was determined that the injury was “irreparable” and the decision was made to euthanize the animal.
As of yet, no information on how the lynx suffered the serious injury.
Lynx kits part of educational program
The lynx kits were part of a wildlife exhibit at MEEC, the result of a local fundraising effort led by Poynette’s public library director. The community “penny drive” raised almost half of the $3, 000 needed to acquire the kits, and the balance was received by other donors.
The Mackenzie Environmental Education Center (MEEC) focuses on outdoor programs:
… environmental educational opportunities for youth and adults so they may appreciate and understand Wisconsin’s natural resources, their problems, protection and management; and that they may have the knowledge and skills to act as environmentally-aware, responsible and committed Wisconsin citizens.
The Center is managed by the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, a conservation-based education and advocacy group, focusing on enjoying the state’s natural resources:
The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation has a dual mission to engage in conservation education and to advocate for sound conservation policy. The Federation’s education focus is on the protection of fish and wildlife and their habitat and in the teaching of skills including hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor recreational pursuits.
According to an earlier article, a spokesperson for the MEEC said the lynx kits were going to be used to help educate people about habitat issues, and that they would not be named “because they’re wild animals.”
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
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