Lynx

Updated 10/23/26

Meet Julie and Marty! 

Julie is 13 years old and was born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. She's here at the Alaska Zoo as part of a breeding program. Marty is 7 years old and arrived from Woodland Park Zoo in 2026 to be Julie's companion. And much to everyone’s delight, the pair became good friends almost immediately!  

You can tell Julie and Marty apart by looking at the black tufts on the tips of their ears! Julie's tufts stand up nice and tall, while Marty's flop over a bit more. It's a little detail that makes spotting who's who much easier! 

The word lynx comes from a Greek word meaning “light,” sometimes associated with the cat's bright, reflective eyes. Canadian lynx are the only wild cat species native to Alaska, and they're right at home in our snowy forests and mountains. You might even spot one in Anchorage, especially around the mountainside! 

Lynx weigh around 18 to 30 pounds, although some males can weigh more than 40 pounds. Their gray-brown fur helps them blend into their surroundings, while their short, black-tipped tails and long tufts of fur on their ears give them a distinctive look. Their oversized paws act like natural snowshoes, spreading their weight across the snow so they can move easily without sinking. 

Their favorite meal in the wild? Snowshoe hares! Lynx populations rise and fall alongside hare populations in a fascinating natural cycle. When hares are plentiful, lynx numbers can increase, too. As lynx hunt more hares, the hare population declines, and the lynx have to move on or survive with less food. Over time, the hare population recovers, and lynx may return when food becomes plentiful again. This natural cycle helps keep the ecosystem in balance. 

Although snowshoe hares make up much of their diet, lynx also eat birds, voles, and other small animals when the opportunity arises. They're expert hunters that stalk their prey before pouncing, sometimes with a quick sprint to finish the chase. 

Here's another fun fact: lynx have excellent hearing, thanks in part to those long ear tufts. Their large ears help them detect the faint sounds of prey moving beneath snow or through thick vegetation. And even though they're skilled climbers, they usually do most of their hunting on the ground. 

Canadian lynx are found across much of northern North America. While their populations are generally considered stable, habitat loss and fragmentation can threaten the connected wilderness areas they need to hunt and travel. 

Follow the Alaska Zoo online for updates about our lynx, their latest adventures, and all our amazing cold-weather animals!