Ecos Do About-Face
Over Starving Lynx

BOULDER, Colo. — Oops! Animal activists who pushed hard for the artificial introduction of Canadian lynx into Colorado are rapidly retreating from their brainchild now that the transplanted cats are starving to death in the midst of bountiful prey.

Of five lynx trucked down from British Columbia and released in southern Colorado in early February, two have died of starvation and one is not doing well and may need to be captured, nourished and re-released.

On Saturday about 35 people gathered on a downtown corner urging the state Division of Wildlife to end the reintroduction program.

University of Colorado animal behavior professor and animal rights activist Marc Bekoff led the protesters who held signs with slogans such as ``Bad Idea; Bad Plan; Dead Lynx'' and ``D.O.W. kills lynx.''

``There has never really been a successful carnivore reintroduction,'' Bekoff said, adding that starvation is the cruelest way for an animal to die.

Todd Malmsbury, Division of Wildlife spokesman, said scientists from across the country have counseled people handling the Colorado effort. He said it's not surprising that some of the animals have died.

``We obviously don't know how many will survive or how many will die,'' Malmsbury said. ``What we said repeatedly is, based on previous reintroduction work, we said it's certainly possible that 50 percent of the animals could die, perhaps more or perhaps less.''

The goal is to reintroduce a total of 50 to 55 animals between now and early spring as the first phase of a three-year, $1.4 million project, Malmsbury said.

He said polls show the public supports such reintroduction efforts.

``Our plan is to go ahead and release all the animals,'' Malmsbury said. ``Part of this is to learn whether lynx can survive.''