Student documents Canada lynx in northern New Mexico

William Grooms, a doctoral student at New Mexico State University, captured photographic evidence of a Canada lynx in the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico.

He discovered the cat while reviewing images from a summer field season. The lynx, a snow-adapted wild cat, had not been documented in the state for approximately 25 years. Professor Jennifer Frey confirmed the identification of the cat, which resembles a bobcat but possesses wider fur-lined paws and elongated legs for navigating deep snow.

While the species is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, populations remain low across the contiguous United States despite past reintroduction efforts in the nearby San Juan Mountains. The discovery impacts how state and federal governments manage wildlife habitats. The lynx relies on spruce-fir forests and deep snow to hunt snowshoe hares.

These specific forest conditions are often targeted for fuel removal to prevent large wildfires, creating a management challenge for officials in the West who must balance fire safety with the needs of the lynx. Grooms is conducting a two-year study in collaboration with Wildlands Network to understand how forest structure affects biodiversity. He used motion-activated cameras at 120 sites to study 10 different species.

His research aims to provide forest managers with science-based advice on how timber harvesting and fuel-reduction treatments affect wildlife in the Southern Rocky Mountains.