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Why did the lynx cross the road?
It may not have been their intention, but for a group of animals caught on video in northwestern Ontario on New Year’s Day, the answer might have been to launch their social media moment.
Const. Zack Stubbington of the Armstrong OPP was on patrol when he spotted a group of lynx, including an adult, crossing the road with three kittens in tow.
In the video, Stubbington can be heard counting five animals in total.
“Oh my gosh, that’s crazy!” he remarks. “That is so cool.”
The video was posted on social media, and has since been shared widely.
Lynx populations in Canada tend to ebb and flow on a 10-year cycle based on food supply, said Brian McLaren, an associate professor at Lakehead University’s faculty of natural resources management.
When food is plentiful, the population will be higher, and sightings of the animals may also be more frequent.
McLaren said lynx kittens tend to stay with their mothers for about 10 months. To spot a second adult with a family is less common, he said, speculating that the fifth lynx seen could be a female from a previous litter.
“Male cats are very solitary,” he said.
In an interview with CBC News on Wednesday, Stubbington said he often records wildlife sightings, but this is the first time a video he’s taken has garnered this much attention.
He said a love of the outdoors, and the opportunity to spot wildlife, were huge motivations for seeking a career in northern Ontario.
“So if anybody is considering a career with the OPP and they’re an outdoors enthusiast, I would suggest looking north,” he said.
