My First Lynx

Description

Sometimes things go right when you least expect it. Wildlife photography has been off my radar in the last little while. I spent some time this past winter looking for Lynx but with no snow for tracking I wasn’t expecting to find one in the summer. I was driving down an abandoned logging road in the Alberta foothills last weekend with a friend looking for potential campsites when a lanky shape crossed the road quickly ahead of us. “That’s a %$@#ing Lynx!†I shouted while simultaneously slamming on the brakes. A mad scramble ensued to get the camera which was buried in the back. We then walked along the ditch scanning the trees hoping to catch one more glimpse of this elusive cat. After a while without any luck I had given up on seeing it again, content with the excitement of seeing my first lynx. We turned to head back and just 25 feet behind us this Lynx sat under a tree, watching us intently. I couldn’t believe it, I snapped a quick photo to document the sighting then slowly crept to try and find an open shooting lane. I was fortunate enough to be in the presence of a wild Lynx but actually getting an open shooting lane in the dense undergrowth was a whole other level of luck! While this picture isn’t conventionally perfect, I think the branches and grass in front of it really captures the essence of these secretive, rarely seen animals. We spent around 15 minutes with this cat before it slipped away into the brush. It looked like a younger cat and acted curious towards us which made me wonder if we were the first humans it had come across. An encounter I’ll never forget and undoubtedly my favourite photo that I’ve ever taken.

Taken By

Daniel Camilleri

Taken On

July 12, 2019

Tagged

lynx cat canada alberta carnivore nikon feline