Rare female Canada lynx captured in Huron

This lynx was captured Sunday morning in eastern Huron County. This lynx was captured Sunday morning in eastern Huron County. Photo: (Photo Courtesy Of Doug Regentin) Photo: (Photo Courtesy Of Doug Regentin) Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Rare female Canada lynx captured in Huron 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

RUTH — An animal rare to the state of Michigan was spotted and captured in Huron County this weekend.

A female Canada lynx was captured just east of Ruth early Sunday morning, after a male lynx was seen killing and eating geese at a local farm.

"It's very unusual to have lynx in the Lower Peninsula," said Jim Zelenak, species lead for Canada lynx for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "I think there were six verified records historically and a bunch more anecdotal, which are unreliable because of the close resemblance to bobcats and just the unreliable nature of a lot of trapping data. But, there were six verified records in the Lower Peninsula. One was in the 1850s or 1860s, and then in the early 1900s, there were five of them trapped along the Au Sable River all in the same year, and that would suggest a flush of animals coming from the north."

The lynx was first sighted Friday night at by Joe McCoy, who was checking his goose pen.

The bodies of two dead geese were in the pen, and a duck could not be located.

Saturday morning, the male lynx was again located in the pen, attempting to kill the geese, but he failed and left the area.

The cat returned Saturday afternoon, and dragged one of the carcasses from the pen, which it then left about 50 feet from the pen.

On Sunday morning, after traps were set Saturday evening, a female lynx was captured.

"It's very rare to hear reports of lynx getting into livestock, but certainly a hungry lynx that finds a pen full of geese, they're opportunistic predators, especially when they're in a place with not enough snowshoe hares to keep them fed," Zelenak said. "Usually, lynx disappear either by starvation or by wandering back northward from areas that can't support them, and that may be what this cat is trying to do."

In February, an animal that was thought to be a lynx, but has not yet been verified, was caught on video in Lexington.

Since then, there were other reports of a lynx being seen near Deckerville.

"I saw the video of the one in Lexington and it really looked like a Canada lynx," Zelenak said. "Now, there's lots of issues with trying to identify them through videos or photos because they are very tough to distinguish from bobcats, which are much more common or likely in that part of Michigan."

"When you talk about the subsequent sightings in Deckerville and Ruth, it seems like, to me, that it might just be the same cat moving around and maybe moving northward," he added. "But, now it sounds like there are at least two, and that's very interesting."

Michigan DNR Officer Mark Siemen, who visited the farm on Saturday, verified that the photos were in fact of a Canada lynx.

The Canada lynx is currently listed as a threatened species. Zelenak said the animals are very rare to this area because there is not a large enough of a prey base.

"I certainly know that the DNR is interested in any verified observations of lynx there, as are we," Zelenak said. "We are, right now, working on a rule to delist lynx in the lower 48. They are currently listed as threatened and they were listed as threatened back in 2000 because of concerns that there were not adequate regulatory mechanisms on federal lands, and there has been a lot of things done to address those things."

Lynx mostly feed on snowshoe hares, and according to Zelenak, there have been no reported attacks by lynx on humans.

"They're really only about twice the size of large house cats," he said. "If they're cornered, like any cat, they could strike out, but there's never been a documented attack on humans. They normally just want to go in the other direction. Like any animal, if they are starving or are sick, that could affect their behavior, but I have never heard anything to suggest any danger to humans."

On Monday, the captured female lynx was taken to a veterinarian in Livingston County.

Zelenak said if anyone is to come in contact with a Canada lynx, the best course of action would be to contact the DNR.

"I would just recommend that folks there stay in close contact with the state agency, with the DNR," he said. "They can provide guidance on what to do."

The DNR can be reached at 989-684-9141.