Two Lynx Cats Scream at Each Other—Can You Stand It?

For Canada lynx, mating season arrives as the subarctic winter turns to spring. Aside from reproduction and the rearing of kittens, lynx are solitary animals. But if two males do meet at this crucial time of year, a screaming match can result. A female lynx only mates with one male during its brief time of fertility, although males sometimes breed with more than one female.

Generally reclusive and nocturnal predators, Canada lynx are hard to spot. Photographer Amos Wiebe has seen ten lynx this season—an impressive total. Lynx populations historically rise and fall in cycles, tracking that of snowshoe hares, their main prey. Changes to habitat have modified the pattern in some regions, but this cycle may play a role in Wiebe's many recent sightings.