Lynx joins Northwest Trek flock

There’s a new cat in town at Northwest Trek, with a goal for her of creating more with a mate.
Nuka, a female lynx, recently arrived at the Eatonville-area wildlife park, where she will move on and off exhibit as she settles into her new home. She’ll eventually be paired with Omak, a male lynx who has lived at Trek since 2014.
Nuka is part of a strategic breeding plan that ensures healthy diversity and survival of the zoo-based lynx population, officials said.
“We are hopeful" that Nuka and Omak "may successfully mate in the future,” said Marc Heinzman , Northwest Trek's zoological curator.

At 21 pounds, Nuka is just a bit smaller than Omak, her intended mate.

Canada lynx are endangered in Washington. The species is pressured by a number of factors, including the 2017 forest fires that destroyed much of their native habitat in Okanogan County, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.