Museum's lynx given a name
4-year-old's 'Snowshoe' narrowly beats 'Grinch' in competition
Last modified: December 29. 2005 7:17AM PST
A lynx that calls The High Desert Museum home finally got a name Wednesday, thanks in part to a 4-year-old girl.
Keana Powers was one of three to submit "Snowshoe" in a competition to name the big cat, according to Cathy Carroll, spokeswoman for the museum. Powers attended a naming ceremony at the museum Wednesday, and said she chose the name because "his feet are big enough to walk on snow."
The name eked out a win over "Grinch," a nickname given by staffers in homage to the Dr. Seuss character notorious for stealing Christmas from the Whos.
One of the handlers spotted Snowshoe climbing a tree one day, Carroll said, and thought he bore a strong resemblance to the green fiend.
Keana's mother, Angie Powers, said she once helped conduct lynx surveys for the U.S. Forest Service in northern Oregon. The two discussed the name, which also refers to the lynx's favorite meal - the snowshoe hare.
Keana earned herself a close encounter with the lynx Wednesday, as well as a behind-the-scenes wildlife tour at the museum and a framed portrait of the big cat.
The competition was launched Nov. 15, shortly after Snowshoe began doing biweekly public appearances in the Birds of Prey Pavilion. Handlers, who worked with the lynx for a few months to acclimate him to humans, bring him out at 11:45 a.m. every Wednesday and Sunday.
The museum adopted Snowshoe in August, after a hiker found him starving in a California state park where he was apparently abandoned by his owner. He was found declawed, neutered and had two canines removed. He was emaciated and suffering from dehydration.
The U.S. Forest Service took Snowshoe in briefly, until the museum offered him a home.
Now he's a healthy weight of nearly 50 pounds, Carroll said. Snowshoe is about 3 1/2 feet from nose to tail and appears to be a hybrid of Siberian or Eurasion lynx mixed with Canada lynx. Carroll said his age is unknown but the cat is fully grown.
"The museum's beautiful High Desert wildlife such as the lynx is extremely important because these animals connect visitors to the landscape," Carroll said. "These creatures, from majestic raptors to playful otters, and this amazing lynx, easily evoke empathy in the people who see them. And that, in turn, inspires our visitors to be good stewards of the land on which these animals depend for their survival."
The lynx is similar to the bobcat but has longer legs, conspicuous ear-tufts and larger paws that support its weight atop snow, according to the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife's Web site.
The lynx is a shy, solitary animal, according to the Web site, and is rarely seen in the wild.
The Canada lynx appears in 15 northern states, including Oregon, and is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Snowshoe is one of more than 100 animals at the museum, including two bobcats, several otters and numerous birds of prey. None of the animals can survive in the wild and depend on humans for their food and shelter, Carroll said.
Starting Friday, the museum will have a new program showing daily at 1 p.m. "Natural Born Killers: What's Good About Dangerous Desert Creatures?" will premiere, giving visitors the chance to get near a rattlesnake, black widow spider and a scorpion.
For more information, call The High Desert Museum at 541-382-4754 or go online to www.high desertmuseum.org.
Cindy Powers can be reached at 541-617-7812 or at cpowers@bendbulletin.com.
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