The Weekly Cute

The Iberian Lynx

Last night Nathan and I caught part of a show about a few of the world's most endangered animals. We learned about Sumatran Rhinos, Lemurs, Black-footed Ferrets, Japanese turtles (of which there is only one female left in the world!) and this week's cute feature, the Iberian Lynx. These are the most endangered cat species on the planet, down to the last 100 or so. They are native to Spain and have been pushed out of their habitat by human development. At one point people exterminated much of Spain's population of rabbits, the Lynx's primary food, and most of the cats starved. The Lynx are now being bred in captivity, but conservationists fear their efforts will be futile if there is no natural habitat where they can be released.

I'm sorry, I know this is a downer post! You must think me very cruel to show you pictures of adorable animals and then explain how they are dying off. But it's the sad fact, and on Earth Day we must acknowledge the state we're in and try to correct or improve our actions.

One last note on the lynx: cute but deadly. These little carnivores are hunting machines. In captivity they are kept apart because the cubs are known to attack one another as they develop these natural instincts. So if you'd like to help conserve their species by keeping them safe and warm in your apartment (like me) it is probably not a good idea. Especially if you'd feel bad feeding them rabbits.