11/23/2024
BC is home to three wild cat species: the cougar, lynx, and bobcat.
Wild cats are naturally elusive creatures and will avoid being seen by humans if possible. When they are seen, people often have great difficulty distinguishing them.
The cougar (Puma concolor) is the largest of the three coming in at 100-160 lbs. From nose to tail tip, they can be over 7ft long. They are slender, but have an incredible amount of musculature that allows them to jump and pounce great heights and distances (they can jump 18ft straight up a tree!). They are uniformly sandy or tawny coloured, with lighter patches of fur on their chin, chest, and underbelly.
The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is mid-sized, coming in at 20-40 lbs. They are best known for their large, triangular ears with black tufts of fur at the tips, and their large snowshoe-like paws. Their back legs are longer than their front legs, so when viewed from the side their back slopes downwards. Their fur is typically greyish-brown, with some black speckling and a white underside. Their tails are short and completely black at the tip.
The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is the smallest of the three, coming in at 10-30 lbs. They share many characteristics with the Canada lynx, but generally do not have the long tufts of fur on their ears, and have a more varied coat. They are often reddy-brown or tan with black stripes on their body and legs, with spotting to act as camouflage. Their tails are longer than the Canada Lynx's tail, with black and white at the tip.
Wild cats will opportunistically hunt small pets. It is important to keep your house cats inside, and check your backyard before letting dogs out at night to use the bathroom.
District of Port Hardy Tri-Port Wildlife Response Team Bear Smart Port Hardy
