Catching a brief glimpse of one Canada lynx on a trail camera is reason enough to celebrate. How about catching two in an extended confrontation?
KBJR shared a video of the remarkable brouhaha between two of the rare creatures on a trail.
The footage comes courtesy of a trail camera provided by the Chik-Wuak Museum and Nature Center in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
The full video begins with the first lynx walking up the trail before wandering on- and off-screen while making a little bit of noise. The action kicks up a notch when a second lynx slowly creeps into view, as the first lynx is positioned by the camera.
When the lynx near the camera feigns a bit of a charge, its counterpart flies into action. In a flash, it’s just feet away, and both lynxes have something to say about the situation.
Instead of an actual catfight, though, they make loud, haunting noises back and forth into the air. Whether this is arguing, communal venting, or friendly conversation is anyone’s guess.
Some growling appears off-camera, and then we see one of the lynxes walk back on-screen, seemingly unbothered as the video wraps.
The exciting interaction shows why trail cameras are an important tool in tracking rare species like the Canada lynx. Chik-Wuak campus director Bonnie Shudy told Northern News Now that both lynxes are “regulars” on the trail.
That’s good to see, as the Canada lynx has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 2000, per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The species faces a number of threats.
Those include habitat loss when it comes to the dense forests they call home and a population decline in their primary prey, snowshoe hares. They can also face threats from accidental trapping.
Efforts like Chik-Wuak’s conservation efforts and Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s repopulation operations are bearing fruit in making these sightings more commonplace. Excitingly, the Canada lynx has even been spotted all the way in Vermont.
Viewers on Facebook marveled at the footage of the two big cats in action and the ruckus they made.
“My cat flattened his ears hearing this,” one said. “My 100 lb dog had to get up on the couch and sit next to mommy.”
“That’s an amazing capture,” another visitor wrote.
“Glad they talked it out,” a commenter joked.
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