Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 22:18:31 -0500
To: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
From: Matthew Gaylor <freematt@coil.com>
Subject: Feds Plant Fake Evidence Of A Rare Cat Species
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"

[Note from Matthew Gaylor: I wonder how many times this sort of thing 
has happened?]

< http://washingtontimes.com/national/20011217-7117603.htm >

Rare lynx hairs found in forests exposed as hoax
  Audrey Hudson
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Published 12/17/2001

Federal and state wildlife biologists planted false evidence of a 
rare cat species in two national forests, officials told The 
Washington Times. Had the deception not been discovered, the 
government likely would have banned many forms of recreation and use 
of natural resources in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and 
Wenatchee National Forest in Washington state.

The previously unreported Forest Service investigation found that the 
science of the habitat study had been skewed by seven government 
officials: three Forest Service employees, two U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service officials and two employees of the Washington Department of 
Fish and Wildlife.

The officials planted three separate samples of Canadian lynx hair on 
rubbing posts used to identify existence of the creatures in the two 
national forests.

DNA testing of two of the samples matched that of a lynx living 
inside an animal preserve. The third DNA sample matched that of an 
escaped pet lynx being held in a federal office until its owner 
retrieved it, federal officials said.

[...]


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