Canada Lynx Kittens to Make Public Debut at the Minnesota Zoo

Apple Valley, MN – August 13, 2014: Four Canada lynx kittens will make their public debut at the Minnesota Zoo on Thursday, August 14, 2014 at 9 a.m. and the media is invited to attend. This is the Zoo’s third litter of lynx in five years.

The kittens – two boys and two girls – were born at the Zoo on May 6. Since that time, they have been busy nursing, growing, and bonding with mom. Now old enough to leave the den area, they are just starting to explore their new home on the Medtronic Minnesota Trail. While they adjust, the quality of the viewing opportunities may vary depending on whether they choose to be in the lynx habitat or the den.

Canada lynx have dense silvery-brown coats, ruffed faces, and tufted ears. Their extra-thick fur and large snowshoe-like paws make them well-suited to cold habitat in northern forests. Snowshoe hare is the lynx’s primary food source. Unable to run for long distances, these skilled and patient hunters stalk and attack prey at close range.

Canada lynx are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Minnesota Zoo’s kittens are important additions to this species.

The Minnesota Zoo is located in Apple Valley, just minutes south of Mall of America. Open year round, the Zoo is one of the State’s premier cultural attractions serving 1.3 million visitors annually. With a mission to connect people, animals and the natural world, the Zoo is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). Learn more at mnzoo.org or by calling 952.431.9500.