Environmental group sues Minnesota DNR over trapping of lynx

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A national environmental group has filed a federal lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources alleging that the agency isn’t doing enough to protect endangered lynx from trapping.

The Center for Biological Diversity argues that hunters and trappers should not be allowed to set snares and traps for small game that are also capturing and killing the federally protected Canada lynx. The Star Tribune reports that the center sued the DNR over the same issue in 2006. The judge in that case required the DNR to make several rule changes to make it harder for lynx to get trapped in the snares. Canada lynx have become incredibly rare in Minnesota, with a population somewhere between 50 and 200 animals.

A DNR spokesman declined to comment.