 |
| Contributed Photo/Denise Duperre-Cote Two Canada lynx were spotted recently in Madawaska on the Dufour Rd. by Denise Duperre-Cote as she traveled to work. |
By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
WOODLAND — On the morning of Jan. 15, Woodland resident Harry McCarthy was walking through his Thibodeau Rd. home when something strange outside the window caught his eye. He took a second glance to see what it was, and realized that a small group of Canada lynx were wandering around his yard.
“It’s kind of a rare sighting,” McCarthy said, “so I just grabbed my camera and started shooting pictures.”
The Canada lynx, which were just passing through, remained for a while and then disappeared into the woods. McCarthy said he has been out on snowshoes looking for them, but he hasn’t seen the creatures since.
That one sighting, however, was enough to garner quite a bit of attention for McCarthy, who shared his photos with friends on Facebook and also submitted them to the Inland Fisheries website.
“My pictures have over 1,100 “likes” on the Inland Fisheries site, and have been shared over 700 times,” McCarthy advised.
 |
| Contributed Photo/Harry McCarthy Woodland resident Harry McCarthy recently spotted a group of Canada lynx passing through his yard. McCarthy’s photos of the cats have captured lots of media attention. |
 |
| Contributed Photo/Harry McCarthy A Canada lynx walks across Woodland resident Harry McCarthy’s yard. |
McCarthy’s photos and a brief story were also featured on the Bangor Daily News website.
Canada lynx are on the threatened species list, but are not as rare as they are believed to be, according to Assistant Biologist Arlen Lovewell with the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife in Ashland.
“They are rare throughout the country, but have a pretty significant presence in northern Maine,” Lovewell said.
Lovewell explained that the cats have always existed in Canada and the North Maine Woods, but there have been a lot more sightings outside of the deep woods in recent years.
According to Lovewell, the Canada lynx population has been increasing due to a change in forest condition and snowshoe hare population, which the cats feed upon. McCarthy confirmed that there are a lot of rabbits around his home, which is only two miles outside of town.
Denise Duperre-Cote, who lives in Madawaska, was also surprised recently on her way to work by a couple of Canada lynx crossing the Dufour Rd. in front of her.
“At first I thought they were bobcat,” Duperre-Cote said, “then I realized they were lynx.”
Duperre-Cote said she also lives where there is a high rabbit population.
The cats, which average about 20 inches in height and weigh about 20 pounds, do well in the deep snow due to their large snowshoe-like paws, according to Lovewell. He advised that the animals are not dangerous to humans.
“They are very docile,” said Lovewell, “and they are curious. They will sit and watch things for hours.” A trait, it seems, that makes them the perfect subject for surprised homeowners and commuters armed with a camera.
