The Canada Lynx, also known as Lynx canadensis, is a species of lynx native to North America, including Canada and parts of the United States.
While the Canada Lynx typically has a light brownish-grey fur coat, individuals with black fur have been reported occasionally.
No one had captured black-colored type on camera, but in 2022, a fortunate individual managed to take some pictures that subsequently spread worldwide.
The animal was caught by a researcher at the University of Alberta, Canada. Thomas Jung, an employee of the Government of Yukon, recorded a video of the animal on his cell phone.
The discovery was documented in an article, “Paint it black: first record of melanism in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis),” in the journal Mammalia.
Low resolution still images of a melanistic Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) taken from a 30-s video from Yukon, Canada. Source video courtesy of J. Stuckey. Credit: Mammalia (2022). DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2022-0025
The video was caught in a rural residential area near the town of Whitehorse, Yukon. In the video, the lynx is seen at a distance of about 50 meters and is not bothering anything. Some people and a dog were nearby, and the lynx eventually crept away at the dog’s barking. In terms of behavior, the Canada Lynx is a solitary and secretive animal.
Experts on the animal confirmed that it was a Canada lynx, but could not make out too many distinctive features in the grainy video.
