A pair of rarely-seen Canada lynx were captured on a trail camera engaging in a dramatic standoff and exchanging loud, eerie calls.
The remarkable video was captured by trail cameras set up by the Chik-Wuak Museum and Nature Center in Grand Marais, Minnesota, according to a report by Northern News Now. The footage shows the two Canada lynx exchanging haunting sounds in a seldom-witnessed encounter.
The video begins with a lone Canada lynx wandering along the trail around the Chik-Wuak Museum and Nature Center, moving in and out of view while emitting a few soft calls. Things get more intense when a second lynx slowly appears, approaching as the first one stays near the camera.
When the lynx by the camera makes a small, sudden lunge, the newcomer reacts instantly and pounces towards the trail camera lens, closing the distance in seconds. The two start calling out loudly, filling the air with eerie, angry sounds.
One of the Canada lynx is seen pouncing toward the trail camera lens during the standoff. (Credit: Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center)
Rather than physically tussling with one another, the pair of lynx communicate through loud, haunting calls. After some distant growls are heard off-screen, one of the animals strolls back into view, passing the camera as the footage concludes.
Chik-Wuak campus director Bonnie Shudy tells Northern News Now that the recently-released footage was actually captured in fall 2024 and both lynx are “regulars” around the museum and nature center.
Lynx are among the most endangered wild cats in North America. According to the Big Cat Sanctuary, Canada lynx tend to avoid humans, making it difficult for researchers to determine exactly how many remain in the wild. As of 2022, Minnesota was home to an estimated 100 to 300 lynx. The species is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lynx face several threats, including habitat loss in the dense forests they rely on, a decline in their primary prey — snowshoe hares — and accidental trapping.
Canada lynx are easily recognizable by the long fur that hangs below their cheeks and the black tufts at the tips of their triangular ears. Trail cameras have been crucial in offering researchers a glimpse of this elusive animal PetaPixel previously reported on a Canada lynx that was filmed majestically striking a pose for a trail camera in Minnesota. Meanwhile, a photographer captured stunning footage of lynx roaring and licking a trail camera in Northwestern Maine.