Video: Stunning footage shows the elusive Canada lynx

A rare wildcat was recently spotted in Vermont, marking the first sighting of the species in the area since 2018.

The Canada lynx, a feline predator native to Canada, is known for hunting almost exclusively snowshoe hares, according to the National Wildlife Federation .

The lynx is recognizable by its long black ear tufts and short, black-tipped tail.

Classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2000, the lynx nearly disappeared from the United States due to habitat disruption caused by human activity, per the National Wildlife Federation.

The Staying Connected Initiative , an organization focused on preserving wildlife corridors, is working to combat the habitat disruptions affecting species like the lynx and to make it easier for these animals to travel to new areas.

The recent Canada lynx sighting occurred when a Shrewsbury resident driving along a rural road spotted the lynx prowling nearby. The resident hurried home to retrieve a phone and returned to capture the rare footage, according to The Associated Press .

“Canada lynx are endangered in Vermont and threatened nationally,” Brehan Furfey, of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, said in a statement . “That makes any verifiable lynx sighting in our state important.”

Furfey noted that the lynx was likely migrating to establish its own territory, a behavior known as “dispersing.”

“Although this lynx appears to be on the thinner side, its calm behavior around passing cars as reported by observers is not unusual for a dispersing individual,” Furfey said. “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.”

Earlier this month, another Canada lynx video went viral on X after being captured on a trail camera in northern Minnesota by Tom Gable of the Voyageurs Wolf Project.

In its post, the Voyageurs Wolf Project explained that this is the best quality video they have captured of a Canada lynx.

“A lot of fortuitous things have to happen, not only for the lynx to sit there, but for the lighting to be nice, and for there to be that pretty, North Woods background,” Gable told The Star Tribune . “Those are the things that make it really cool.”