Published Nov 15, 2024
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This Rare Cat—a Canada Lynx—Has Been Roaming Around Vermont!
More than a dozen Vermonters have reported seeing a Canada lynx roaming around the state since August— a very rare sighting indeed. Nobody had seen this scarce cat in the state since 2018!
The first reported sighting came on August 17, when a man named Gary Shattuck spotted the animal walking along a road in Rutland County, and he took a video. Brehan Furfey, a wildlife biologist with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, confirmed that the big cat was a Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and called the incident exciting and significant.
“Canada lynx are endangered in Vermont and threatened nationally,” Furfey said in a statement. “That makes any verifiable lynx sighting in our state important. This newest sighting is especially exciting, because the cat was spotted in Rutland County, far south of most confirmed lynx reports in Vermont.”
Since the first confirmed sighting in August, wildlife biologists continued to get photos and videos of what appears to be not only a Canada lynx, but the same individual. In early October, Vermont officials said they had confirmed 15 lynx sightings, and it looked like the same skinny juvenile male. The cat has moved more than 60 miles north of the location where he was first spotted. He appears to be “dispersing,” a biological term for animals traveling long distances in search of new territory. That is good news for both the cat and the environment, Furfey said.
“The lynx has moved steadily north from Rutland County into Addison County,” he said in a statement on the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department website. “That’s a conservation success in its own right because Vermont’s network of protected lands is what makes this journey possible. We’re rooting for this lynx to keep heading north, where it will find more young forest habitat and plenty of snowshoe hares to eat.”
The Canada lynx’s habitat is mainly the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska, but they also appear in limited quantities in areas including New England, Montana, Minnesota, and Washington.
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In Vermont, some 160 alleged Canada lynx sightings have been reported since 2016, but it’s usually a false alarm. That is because the Canada lynx looks similar to the bobcat (Lynx rufus), a feline wild cousin which is much more common in Vermont.
Both the bobcat and Canada lynx have black tufts of hair on their ears and short tails tipped with black. The difference is that the Canada lynx cat has longer ear tufts and completely black tail tips; the bobcat’s tail is also tipped with white on the underside. Canada lynxes also have larger feet and longer legs, which help them trudge through snow to catch their prey—predominantly the snowshoe hare. The male Canada lynx is typically about 33.5 inches long and weighs between 26 and 30 pounds; females are usually about 32 inches long and weigh between 17 and 20 pounds.
Vermont residents who think they have spotted a Canada lynx should take a photograph or video of it and email it to [email protected]. Wherever you live, it’s a good idea to notify state wildlife officials if you spot a rare Canada lynx—though much of the time, the specimen will likely be a bobcat.
“The large majority of photographs our biologists receive are bobcats, but that doesn’t exclude the possibility that a Canada lynx will show up one day,” Furfey said in the statement.
Whether you have spotted a Canada lynx or a bobcat (Lynx rufus), wildlife officials recommend giving the animal space. The Canada lynx is a federally threatened species, and this particular Vermont lynx is probably stressed from its unfamiliar territory.
“The rule of thumb is always to keep a respectful distance from any wildlife you’re observing,” Furfey said. “If they are changing their behavior in response to you, then you’re too close.”
The Savannah cat looks wild, but acts more like a domestic cat. Gennadiy Naumov / Shutterstock.com
Also, whether you are seeing a Canada lynx or a bobcat in your area—even if it’s a baby cub—remember that these cats are wild animals. Lynxes might be related to our domestic cats, but they are not suitable as pets. If you want a large, wild-looking cat, consider getting a Savannah. This exotic breed is a hybrid of the African serval. This breed is very expensive, though, and getting one of these exotic but domesticated cats will cost thousands of dollars.
