Though meant to live free in the wild, lynxes often find themselves in cages, bred to become domesticated household pets, or for the fur trade in Russia. In hopes of rehabilitating confined lynxes and bringing light to the practices endangering them, wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan teams up with big cat expert Dr. Victor Lukarevsky in the series Snow Cats and Me. The following episodes air throughout July on WSBE Rhode Island PBS at 9 p.m.
Episode 1 – July 12 at 9 p.m. and July 19 at 9 p.m.
In snowy Russia, Gordon Buchanan and Dr. Victor Lukarevsky join forces to rehabilitate four lynxes. Although born in the wild, lynx pair Koshka and Miass have been locked in steel cages by a fur trapper, with their kittens taken from them and sold. Pair Bryansk and Dasha have been rescued from the pet trade and have never seen the wilderness. Wanting to give them a new life, Victor hopes the cats can tap into their athletic and elusive instincts needed to survive in the wild.
Episode 2 – July 20 at 2 p.m.
In the second and final episode of the series, Gordon returns to Russia to help Dr. Victor Lukarevsky continue his work to release the lynxes back into the wild. Pair Koshka and Miass surprise Gordon and Victor by giving birth to two kittens, triggering a race against time to get the new parents and their kittens ready for release. And Gordon works with Bryansk, a young male who spent part of his life as a house pet and doesn’t know how to catch his own food.
WSBE Rhode Island PBStransmits over the air in high definition on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD in MA; DirecTV 36, Dish Network 36. Live stream the full broadcast schedule at watch.ripbs.org/livestream.