Rare Canada lynx spotted in Vermont for the first time since 2018

A southern Vermont resident spotted a Canada lynx over the weekend, walking along a gravel road.

Gary Shattuck of Shrewsbury caught the lynx on video on Aug. 17, 2024. It’s the first time the animal has been confirmed in the state since 2018, according to state biologists.

Lynx live in much of Canada and Alaska, as well as parts of Maine and New Hampshire.

“Canada lynx are endangered in Vermont and threatened nationally,” said Brehan Furfey, wildlife biologist and furbearer project leader with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, in a press release Wednesday. “That makes any verifiable lynx sighting in our state important.”

The department said this sighting, in Rutland County, is especially exciting because of how south it occurred compared to previous sightings in the state.

Fish and Wildlife Department biologists suspect this lynx was a male, looking to establish its own territory — a practice called “dispersing.”

Canada lynx have huge paws, black tufts on their ears and the tip of their tail, and thrive where snowshoe hare are abundant. They’re often mistaken for bobcats — which are closely related, and more common in Vermont.

If you think you’ve spotted a lynx, the Fish and Wildlife Department recommend sending in a photo or video for identification.

This story is a production of  the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by Vermont Public.