Police in Portage County, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night had to call in “reinforcements” – that would be Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources director Bryan Lockman – after the vehicle’s owner reported, “I have a lynx in the car.”
“You can only imagine what people were thinking at the time, so when they sent over the radio, many deputies were curious,” County Sheriff Mike Lucas said. Three delegates, he said, went to the site and were “shocked” to find the animal behind the front grille of a car. Toyota.
“My lieutenants were really good at solving problems, but the problem confused them so we called in reinforcements,” Lukas said.
A video clip shows Lockman and an assistant luring a lynx from behind a car’s grille using an animal control pole. The pole allows the creature to be kept at a safe distance during transport. The cat is placed in a truck – is being protested, but is not injured – and will eventually be released.
It is not clear if the lynx was hit by the car or if it climbed onto the front grille on its own. Of course Domestic cats love to climb into the warm engine compartment, so maybe lynx too? And it’s not uncommon for wildlife to get stuck on the road and get trapped in nets, such as this unfortunate owl, this accidental wolfand yes, this other lynx – luckily, they all got out of their predicament after making long horrifying journeys.
The cat got there, though, which was “all in one day at the Portage County Sheriff’s Office,” Lucas said.
