Biography
A Canada lynx is a medium-sized cat that is well adapted for life in the northern forests. Compared to the more common bobcat, a lynx is larger and has long black ear tufts, a black-tipped tail, and a flared facial ruff. With long legs and huge furry feet that act like snowshoes, a lynx can move tirelessly across deep snow while hunting its preferred prey, snowshoe hares. Lynx numbers rise and fall following the cyclic highs and lows of the snowshoe hare population. Ideal lynx habitat is a mixture of forest types. Downed logs and woody debris of old forests are needed for denning, escape, and protection from severe weather. The solitary lynx hunts in young forests that provide habitat for prey. Corridors of forest, with enough cover, allow the shy lynx to travel safely within its range. Canada lynx are found in the high elevations and mountainous regions of northern United States and Canada. Although their numbers are stable in Alaska and Canada, habitat destruction has led to a decline in the lynx population in the contiguous United States. The Canada lynx was listed as a threatened species, in the lower 48 states, under the Endangered Species Act in March of 2000.
Our Animal's Story
Our Canada lynx, Woody, is our adult male. He was born May 15, 2005 at a facility in Minnesota and arrived at ZooAmerica in November 2007. Wren is our female Canada lynx. Her birth date is May 25, 2013 and she arrived at ZooAmerica in September 2019. They are very curious about new smells and they like to roll around on various enrichment scents that are offered.
