The federal government announced last week that it plans to remove the Canada lynx from the Endangered Species list.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the Canada lynx has recovered from near-extinction and should be considered for delisting. This is despite the agency’s own analysis that shows it’s unlikely the species will survive in the United States to the end of the century.
Lynx are adapted for forests with deep snow and rely on a diet consisting nearly entirely of snowshoe hare. Scientists believe there are fewer than 2000 lynx in the lower 48 states, with populations in Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Colorado.
Environmental groups say they will fight the delisting in court.