VT: MAN SPOTS RARE BIG CAT IN SOUTHERN VERMONT
<p><pi /></p>\n<p><pi><b>This package/segment contains third party material. Unless otherwise noted, this material may only be used within this package/segment.</b></pi></p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--SUPERS</b>--</p>\n<p>Tuesday</p>\n<p>Rutland County, VT</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>Brehan Furfey </p>\n<p>Vermont Fish and Wildlife</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--VIDEO SHOWS</b>--</p>\n<p>video of Canadian lynx; sound from state biologist; VO of biologist searching for evidence of lynx</p>\n<p></p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b>--SCRIPT PROVIDED WCAX</b>--</p>\n<p>A SURPRISE BIG CAT SIGHTING OF A LIFETIME.</p>\n<p>TODAY KATHARINE HUNTLEY WAS ON THE PROWL -- FOLLOWING A RARE FELINE SIGHTING IN SOUTHERN VERMONT.</p>\n<p></p>\n<p>PKG:</p>\n<p>Katharine Huntley/Rutland County it's not very often that someone would encounter a big cat while out doing errands, but what one rutland county man saw this weekend he won't soon forget, and he got it on video.</p>\n<p>***nats***</p>\n<p>VERMONTER GARY SHATTUCK WAS DRIVING DOWN A RURAL ROAD ON SATURDAY--WHEN HE CAME ACROSS THIS SURPRISING FELINE.</p>\n<p>HE GOT HIS CAMERA AND STARTED FILMING THE BIG CAT.</p>\n<p>**MORE NATS**</p>\n<p>SHATTUCK THOUGHT WHAT HE WAS FILMING WAS A CANADIAN LYNX -- A CAT RARELY SEEN IN VERMONT. WHEN VERMONT FURBEARER BIOLOGIST BREE FURFEY SAW THE VIDEO, SHE WAS SURE.</p>\n<p>BREHAN FURFEY/VERMONT FISH AND WILDLIFE that's an incredibly rare opportunity. It might be their only opportunity in their entire life. Like, how many people in this world has been able to say that I drove up to a Lynx and I was able to record it.</p>\n<p>I JOINED FURFEY MONDAY AS SHE INVESTIGATED THE SIGHTING.</p>\n<p>Brehan Furfey/Vermont Fish Wildlife What I'm looking for right now is probably some sign of lynx activity.</p>\n<p>SHE SAYS THE CAT IS LIKELY A JUVENILE MALE AND WAS WALKING ALONG THE TREE LINE LOOKING FOR FOOD.</p>\n<p>Brehan Furfey/Vermont Fish Wildlife They'll quietly go along the side and they'll look for prey resources or just hear them and they can easily jump quite a distance to get that anmial so it's a very sneaky way of sneaking up on their prey.</p>\n<p>CANADIAN LYNX ARE PREVALENT IN CANADA WHERE THEIR FOOD OF CHOICE, SNOWSHOE HARE, ARE ABUNDANT.</p>\n<p>THE LAST CONFIRMED SIGHTING OF A CANADIAN LYNX IN VERMONT WAS IN 2018 IN JERICHO. IT'S EVEN MORE RARE FOR THEM TO TRAVEL DOWN TO SOUTHERN VERMONT.</p>\n<p>FISH AND WILDLIFE SAYS THERE'S NOT REASON TO FEAR THE CATS, BUT TO GIVE IT SPACE TO HUNT.</p>\n<p>Brehan Furfey/Vermont Fish Wildlife I strongly encourage poeple to give their distance if they do see it and just a reminder to be respectful of the animal.</p>\n<p>FISH AND WILDLIFE RECEIVE AROUND 1 TO TWO HUNDRED REPORTS OF POTENTIAL LYNX EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT THE MAJORITY TURN OUT TO BE BOBCATS, WHICH HAVE A WELL-ESTABLISHED POPULATION IN VERMONT.</p>\n<p>LYNX, HAVE HIGHER HINDQUARTERS, VERY LARGE PAWS AND MORE MUTED COLORS.</p>\n<p>Katharine Huntley/Rutland County With bobcat and lynx looking very similar, fish and wildlife says they sitll want people to make the reports if think it might be a lynx because it's important in being able to track them statewide. in rutland county, kh c3n</p>\n<p></p>\n<p><b> --KEYWORD TAGS--</b></p>\n<p>VERMONT VIRAL CAUGHT ON CAM WILDLIFE KICKER NATURE ENVIRONMENT NEW ENGLAND CANADA </p>\n<p></p>