Two wayward Canada lynx have been captured in Utah after being treed by dogs, Utah wildlife officials said.
The animals, which are listed as threatened on the Endangered Species List, were caught Dec. 7 and Dec. 12. Both were tranquilized by wildlife officers and transported to Colorado for release.
The first lynx, a female, was caught on the north end of eastern Utah's Book Cliffs by federal wildlife officers. A male lynx was caught a week later in the Mineral Mountains between Beaver and Milford.
Both animals were in good condition, said Kevin Bunnell, mammals coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The animals migrated to Utah from Colorado's San Juan Mountains, where a lynx reintroduction program was started in 1999. Animals in the program are fitted with tracking collars, although some kittens may wander undetected out of Colorado.
In the past, Colorado officials notified Utah wildlife offices when animals migrated west, but that didn't happen this time.
"They had been in the state, and we were not aware of it," he said. "Once we realized they were in some vulnerable places, we decided we better move them. There was some miscommunication; it won't happen again."
Utah officials moved quickly to capture the lynx because they feared the animals could be mistaken for bobcats. Trapping season for bobcats, which are not federally protected, opened Nov. 16 in Utah.
The last lynx captured in Utah was in November 2004.