Rare lynx sighting on Colorado ski run

DURANGO, Colo. -- A lynx stopped traffic on a ski run at Purgatory Ski Resort this week.

Visitor Jim Russell said he was heading down the mountain Wednesday morning to meet friends when he spotted the lynx.

"What looked like a feral cat started walking out in front of me," Russell said. "I went around it and came to a stop and started videoing and taking pictures of it."

Soon there were about 50 people taking pictures, Russell said.

Airrick Hix posted video of the lynx on YouTube.

"We do have lynx habitat on our mountain," explained Kim Oyler, the director of communications with Purgatory Resort. "We don’t normally see them on the slopes when we have skiers and snowboarders out."

Oyler said the lynx was spotted on a trail called Demon.

"It's a rare occasion to see a lynx," Oyler.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) started reintroducing lynx to Colorado in 1997.