The first report came from Shrewsbury, in mid-August. A skinny, young male Canada lynx, far south from its usual habitat, was walking along a dirt road.
In the weeks since, the cat has slowly traveled north. It鈥檚 been spotted in Mendon, North Chittenden, Salisbury and Lincoln, eating mice and traipsing along roads.
Lynx rely on a diet of snowshoe hare, which exist in low numbers in Vermont.
鈥淲e're just barely at the brink of being able to support a lynx population,鈥� said Brehan Furfey, a state wildlife biologist.
Of anywhere in the state, the Northeast Kingdom, with its early successional forests and greater snowfall, has the best habitat for hare, and lynx.
鈥淪o moving in the right direction,鈥� Furfey said.
Video from L. Shelvey of Rutland County / Vermont Fish and Wildlife
Lynx will travel from their territories after the snowshoe hare population dips 鈥� a cycle that happens every 10 to 12 years.
鈥淲e鈥檙e coming up on about the 10-year mark for the last lynx sightings in Vermont,鈥� Furfey said. 鈥淚t could be that the next couple of years we start to see more juveniles dispersing from other areas.鈥�
More from 开云体育: Rare Canada lynx spotted in Vermont for the first time since 2018
But most of the state is not the right habitat for lynx. Besides a lack of prey, there are too many bobcats 鈥� a main competitor. Even though lynx are larger, bobcats weigh more.
鈥淏obcats would probably beat up a lynx,鈥� Furfey said.
The fact this animal has been able to travel north shouldn鈥檛 be taken for granted, she added. 鈥淚t demonstrates just the excellent habitat corridors that we have here that's resulted from long-term conservation efforts.鈥�
She hopes its wayward journey continues to bring it north, towards areas better suited for lynx.
鈥淭his cat鈥檚 kind of wandering," she said. "It鈥檚 a little confused.鈥�
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