Watch: ‘Elusive’ lynx caught on camera in snowy Maine forest
AUGUSTA, Maine - At least three lynx got up close and personal with trail cameras in the snow-covered mountains of northwest Maine.
The area is home to the "elusive" Canada lynx, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
The video opens up with a lynx walking over a natural bridge covered in snow. The serene forest scene is sharply punctuated by the lynx making a loud, shrill calling sound to the nearby lynx.
A lynx calls out in Maine. February 14, 2023. (Colin Chase / @MaineWoodsbooger / YouTube / FOX Weather)
"It's lynx breeding season, and they are getting vocal!" Chase said on his YouTube channel. According to the trail cam metadata, the shot was recorded on a chilly 25-degree Valentine’s Day morning.
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Throughout the video, lynx can be seen exhibiting a variety of behaviors.
For example, one shot shows a lynx drinking from a partially frozen pond, while others feature a lynx calmly sitting in front of the camera and a trio of lynx walking over the pond.
Another shot has a lynx sitting down to scratch its cheek with its left back paw. The temperature on this date was a bit warmer at a balmy 23 degrees.
A lynx scratches its left cheek. February 13, 2023. (Colin Chase / @MaineWoodsbooger / YouTube / FOX Weather)
In another clip, two lynx walk up to the camera, allowing viewers to see them up close.
Toward the end of the video, footage from a second location shows a lynx moving through a thick, forested area.
Two lynx investigate the trail camera closely. February 14, 2023. (Colin Chase / @MaineWoodsbooger / YouTube / FOX Weather)
Footage of the wild cats was captured by filmmaker Colin Chase, who recorded one month’s worth of trail cam footage from two locations over the winter. With that footage, he edited a 12-minute-long video of highlights showing lynx in their natural habitat.
Lynx are well-adapted to winter weather. According to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the wild cats have unusually large, densely furred feet that help them travel over snow.
A lynx in a snowy Maine forest. January 23, 2023. (Colin Chase / @MaineWoodsbooger / YouTube / FOX Weather)
Adult male lynx can grow on average about 33.5 inches long and weigh between 26 and 30 pounds, the DIFW added. Adult female lynx can grow to about 32 inches long and weigh between 17 and 20 pounds.