Two female Lynx kittens – the first born at the Minnesota Zoo since 1993 – are now on exhibit between 9-noon daily. Born May 13, the kittens have been bonding with their mom off exhibit since that time. Their mother, who came to the Zoo in 2007, is a great first time mom and very protective of her kittens. The Minnesota Zoo had nine litters born at the zoo between 1981–1993, totaling 22 kittens.

Photo Credits: Minnesota Zoo

With a dense silvery-brown coat, ruffed face, and tufted ears, Canada lynx resemble large domestic cats. Well-suited to living in snow, their large furry feet serve as snowshoes. Long legs help them stay above drifts, and extra-thick fur keeps them warm and silent. Lynx mostly hunt snowshoe hares but will also eat birds and small mammals. The best lynx habitat is in the northern forests; they can be found in dense forests across northern Canada, northern Minnesota and Maine, and in mountainous areas of the northwestern United States.

Like other wild cats, lynx usually rest during the day, often under cover such as a fallen log or rock ledge. Like the hares they hunt, these secretive and solitary cats are mostly active at night (nocturnal). Minnesota used to have a large Canada lynx population, but numbers have dropped. They are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.