Journalism of Courage
Ever seen a black lynx? Pictures of one have now surfaced online for the first time ever
The rare black lynx was glimpsed in Canada in 2020. However, the findings have only now become public after being published by a senior wildlife biologist at the University of Alberta, in a scientific journal.
Black cats are found commonly in all places, while their larger cousins, black panthers, are not too rare either. Until a few weeks ago, however, there was no documented evidence of a black lynx. Lynxes are a type of wild cat found in southern Canada. Now, a small grainy clip and pictures of a black lynx have surfaced online. The photos and videos were first captured in Yukon in 2020.
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However, the findings have only now become public after being published by Thomas S Jung, a senior wildlife biologist at the University of Alberta, in a scientific journal named Mammalia earlier this year. Jung had filmed the dark-coloured lynx on his phone camera from a distance of about 50 metres, which explains the poor quality of the images. He noted that the wild cat seemed at ease with humans, but escaped after hearing a dog’s bark.
On Wednesday, the black lynx’s photos were shared online by a Twitter user who goes by the name Jim Rose Circus (@jimrosecircus1).
The images were captioned, “Black Canada lynx, caught on camera for the first time. Before this, there were just reports, but no proof that they existed.” The post has gathered over 17,000 likes.
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As per Earth Touch News Network, the authenticity of the black lynx spotted by Jung was confirmed by other lynx experts who are of the opinion that the animal’s unusual colour is caused by melanism. Melanism is a genetic condition in which melanin, a dark pigment in the skin, gets produced in excess in an animal’s fur or skin.
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