People are being asked to give space to a lynx that has been living at MacArthur Island.

WildSafeBC coordinator Vanessa Isnardy also says people should also not feed wildlife at Mac Island.  That’s after a video went viral of a lynx pouncing on a duck last week at the park, while a group of ducks were apparently feeding on seed that had been left by humans.

“There is a sign at MacArthur Island that’s installed explaining why not to feed wildlife. And there’s a number of reasons. It can contribute to the spread of disease. It puts those animals at risk of being hit by a car, which I understand has happened there before,” Isnardy says.

“We are aware that there is a lynx that’s hanging out. There’s police tape around there to give that animal some space. And feeding ducks in that area knowing that the lynx is nearby, is probably not a good idea. It’s unethical, and we’re also putting those ducks potentially in harm’s way when they wouldn’t be acting that way normally.”

Isnardy says there have been an unusual amount of lynx sightings in Kamloops this year. She says that’s likely because of fewer snowshoe hares at higher elevations, which are their main sources of food. She says the snowshoe hare population is cyclical, and some years is higher than others.

She asks people to help stop them from being habituated, by making sure food sources and other attractants are secure.