ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Three lynx kittens that were seen around Anchorage were euthanized after their mother was killed and permanent placement for the animals could not be found, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported Thursday.
The mother and kittens had been seen for weeks in south Anchorage. Alaska’s News Source, citing the department, reported that at some point the mother and one of the kittens were shot by a homeowner defending chickens.
The department, in a statement Thursday, said the adult lynx was killed by a homeowner in early September, in what it called a “defense of life or property” situation, after it was believed to have killed and hurt ducks and chickens.
The department said it subsequently received reports of the kittens running between homes and across streets and that one was hit by a vehicle and killed. The three remaining lynx were captured Tuesday and later euthanized, the department said.
The department said the lynx were in poor condition and not old enough to “thrive” in the wild on their own. It said it tries to find permanent placements at wildlife facilities for orphaned animals when possible and that due to disease concerns, lynx are only approved for permanent placement in Anchorage.
The department said it contacted a facility that it said had expressed interest in lynx but could not take them.
