Vermont reports rare Canada lynx sighting

The individual was likely passing through looking to find its own territory

For the first time since 2018, a Canada lynx has been detected in Vermont, the southernmost part of the species’ range. The animal was found in Rutland County, which is the most far south the lynx has ever been reported in the state. Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) are listed as endangered in Vermont and are federally threatened. “That makes any verifiable lynx sighting in our state important,” said Brehan Furfey, wildlife biologist and furbearer project leader with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. The lynx was found walking along a road, and several members of the public caught it on video. Furfey believes the individual was dispersing and looking to find its own territory. “This lynx was probably just focused on finding food in an area where hares are not abundant and on avoiding competition with bobcats and fishers while passing through southern Vermont,” he said.

Read more at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

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Header Image: A Canada lynx was spotted for the first time in Vermont since 2018. Credit: Eric Kilby