A Canada lynx was seen eating a domestic cat on Aspen Street, 100 Mile House, a town and district municipality located in the South Cariboo region of central British Columbia, Canada. As I write this, the website presenting this news tells me that the temperature in that area is -23°C. How do they let domestic cats wander around the streets in temperatures like that?

Anyway, conservation officers were called out at 10 p.m. and saw the lynx feeding on a domestic cat. They believe that the lynx had been in the area for a few days. It is reported that they “put down” the lynx for “public safety concerns”. The reference to public safety concerns is because the lynx was found close to the district’s downtown area.

Canada lynx. Photo: Pixabay.

It is believed that the lynx had been in the area for a few days and multiple cats had been killed by this medium-sized wild cat species. The weigh approximately 8 to 11 kilograms. This is about 22 pounds. Some Maine Coons are heavier. The conservation officer, Murray Booth, said that the public should not be concerned. But he advised that people should supervise their children and keep their pets inside each evening because that’s when the Canada lynx is most active. Also petfood should be kept inside to prevent attracting wild cats and other animals to the area.

That is all we have on this story. The only question I have is whether it was the right thing to kill this Canada lynx? The cat wasn’t doing anything other than behaving normally. If a medium-sized cat was killing outside domestic cats that would seem to be the fault of the cats’ owners and not the fault of the lynx. Why therefore should the lynx be killed? The truth is that in Canada the lynx is ‘harvested’ for its fur and therefore the relationship between human and cat is not great is it? It is one of exploitation and persecution and therefore killing a lynx is nothing. There is no value in the animal.

Are they are of lesser value than domestic cats? Is this speciesism in action? Yes, I’d say. They say the Canada lynx was euthanised but actually it was killed. Let’s not use euphemisms to cover up what actually happened, please.

The story does highlight, however, the real dangers in Canada and in America of letting domestic cats wander around outside where they can encounter predators of the domestic cat. In many countries this danger to pet cats does not exist, but it is perhaps the major reason why many North American cat owners keep their cats inside all the time.

I don’t believe the Canada lynx is a threat in any way to people, even children. To the best of my knowledge there have been no recorded attacks by lynx on people. None. They don’t attack people. The argument to kill the animal seems to be very poor. The cat was near the downtown area. Big deal. Leave it alone and live and let live would be my motto. Am I being naive and careless?

Source: 100 Mile Free Press.