by Laura Simpson
November 14, 2011

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/lodge-workers-heroism-saves-leg-trapped-lynx-in-canadian-wilderness.html#ixzz1doSxalr0

Written by Kevin Aubie of New Brunswick, Canada

About five years ago I was working at a lodge deep in the New Brunswick forest. My boss/friend was away that day and I was alone. Several people came into the lodge asking if I knew how to contact the forest rangers who were not at their office right next door. I told them there was nobody around but me and asked them what the problem was. They told me that just a little ways up the trail on a turnoff was a lynx was caught in a trap and injured.

Lynx are quite rare in New Brunswick and I had never seen one but was extremely concerned, and considering that I'm very anti-trapping, I was also angry.

I asked for more details including how big it was and how dangerous. The four very large men told me it was too dangerous to go near since lynx have huge paws and claws. I didn't care; I was only 160 lbs but I made the decision right then and there that I was going to help.

How would I save him without being torn apart?

I immediately began to think about how I could rescue this animal without being torn apart. Since I was at a skidoo lodge there were several full leather skidoo suits around. I dressed up in a full leather suit, ski doo boots, leather gloves and a ski doo helmet and told the men "lead me to it."

It was only about three minutes away by skidoo and when we arrived, I just wanted to cry to see such a beautiful animal being tortured by the steel cable trap wrapped around one of its back legs. The injury on its leg was quite bad; the cable had caused a long deep gash. I could see it was frightened to see so many people approach, so I told the other men to stay put while I moved into range.

I approached it slowly, trying to calm the lynx with my slow movements and hushed tones. As I got near enough, I used a second large leather jacket I had brought to quickly cover the lynx's body from his head to its back legs, so that only his back legs were exposed. He struggled a bit as I basically used my body to pin him down, and once he calmed I asked the other men to move in and assist by keeping him pinned while I tried to remove the cable. It was not easy. The pliers I had brought couldn't get around the cable since it was too tightly wrapped around the lynx's leg. One of the men had one of those little jacknives with a small built-in pair of pliers. Those pliers were small enough to get in there, but I had great difficulty cutting what appeared to be the type of cable used on bicycle brakes, which is tempered steel.

We Slowly Backed Away

After about 10 minutes, the cable was off. I asked the other men to back off as I once again pinned the animal and then slowly backed away.

The lynx was clearly terrifed by the process as he slowly limped away. I wondered if he could survive his injuries. I had my doubts, but felt I had at least given him a chance to live.

Destroy Traps

I often return to the area to locate and destroy traps. People tell me how that's illegal and I could get in serious trouble with the law, but I don't care because this is the kind of thing I am willing to risk my freedom for. Please speak out against this barbaric practice and if you find traps, destroy them.

Need An Extra Dose of Heroism?

Enjoy the very quick story of how one brave factory worker stopped a group of his fellow welders who were about to chop a black snake's head off.