Maine is the only state in the northeast that currently has a resident breeding population of Canada lynx.
Wildlife officials estimate that between 750 and 1000 adult lynx roam the spruce/fir flats in western and northern Maine.
The video below shows a female lynx and her two kittens blocking a snowmobiling trail near Kokadjo, Maine.
Check out these beautiful cats:
Video description:
“During a snowmobile trip a few miles outside of Kokadjo, Maine in January 2023, my husband and I spotted what looked like a log on a groomed trail opposite of the way we were going.
We decided to inspect it and maybe remove it for other riders’ safety. As I got closer on my sled, I realized it wasn’t a log at all but a mother lynx and her two kittens!”
Lynx are similar to bobcats, but there are a few notable differences as noted by the Maine Department of Inland Fishers & Wildlife:
“Although lynx are similar in size and appearance to bobcats, lynx appear larger because of their long legs.
The most distinguishing characteristic is the lynx unusually large, densely furred feet that help them travel over snow.
Both lynx and bobcats have black tufts of fur on their ears and a short, black-tipped tail, however, lynx have long ear tufts and a completely black tipped tail where bobcats have short ear tufts, and the tip of their tail is black on top and white underneath.
A lynx winter coat is light gray and faintly spotted, and the summer coat is much shorter and has a reddish-brown cast”
You can read more about the Canada lynx population in Maine here.
Header Image Credit: Animal Welfare Institute
