The results of a necropsy report on the lynx kitten that was euthanized in early September at the MacKenzie Environmental Education Center have not been returned.

"At this point, there is no report," said Derek Duane, director of the center, which is near Poynette.

Duane said a necropsy report usually takes about a month to complete, but the MacKenzie Center has yet to receive the results.

"I don't know what the delay is," Duane said.

Duane said the necropsy report will confirm if a freak accident caused the lynx's spine to break or if the animal had a previous history of spinal problems.

The lynx kitten was euthanized after a severe spinal break suddenly caused the animal's back legs to become immobile a few days after it was introduced to the MacKenzie Center.

Duane said the injury apparently was caused when the lynx kitten, which weighed about 5 pounds, fell from a ceiling crevice in its pen to the ground below. The lynx enclosure is about 12 feet high.

MacKenzie Center staff inquired about surgery for the lynx, but the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine staff who treated the injured lynx said that there was no guarantee surgery would fix the problem.

A new lynx was purchased to replace the deceased one in September, and both lynxes that are in the enclosure at the MacKenzie Center continue to do well, Duane said.

To help prevent future accidents with the lynxes, the MacKenzie Center has put netting below the higher parts of the enclosure.