"It has been suggested by naturalists and biological historians that lynx may have been widely distributed in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan in the 1800's"......... "However, six of seven verified records from the 1800s are from the Upper Peninsula near the Wisconsin border; a lynx killed in Washtenaw County".......... "Five lynx trapped along the Au Sable River in Oscoda County in 1917 represent the only verified records of lynx from the Lower Peninsula"..........."Verified records of lynx occurrence in Michigan in the early 1900s are extremely scarce with five specimens collected on Isle Royale in 1904 and 1905".........."These records appear to illustrate the historical rarity of lynx in Michigan, though they do not provide any indication of individual fitness or population viability"............"Many current day biologists caution that some of the historical lynx records from Michigan may be unreliable given the potential misidentification of bobcat for lynx"...........The overwhelming consensus of biologists is that the lynx was extremely rare, if not already extinct in the ninth Biennial Report (1937-38) of the Michigan Department of Conservation"........With all this said, gratifying that the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources confirmed that the "cat" seen entering the woods near Lexington, Michigan on Feb 16 is in fact a Canadian Lynx and not a Bobcat..............This is only the 3rd confirmed Lynx sighting in Michigan since 2002, likely a dispersing transient from Canada

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan-dnr-animal-caught-on-video-could-be-rare-lynx

dnr lynx

click this link to view Lynx strolling into the woods in Michigan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TpBU-2nbis

Michigan DNR: Animal caught on video could be rare lynx

by: Ken Haddad; 2/19/19

An animal caught on video in Michigan could be a rare lynx, according to the DNR.

Monique Touchette-Soper of Lexington, Michigan captured the animal walking through woods near her home on Saturday.

Tracks are large, averaging 3.7 inches wide and 4.5 inches long for front paws and 3 x 3.1 inches for rear paws. Pads are usually round and unlobed; unlike canids (dogs), all felid (cat) tracks generally have no claw marks.

According to Michigan State University, lynx sightings have only been confirmed three times in Michigan since 2003. The lynx is classified as a federally threatened species.

The Michigan DNR's experts looked at the video and said they're convinced it's a lynx, and not a bobcat.

The lynx is a medium-sized cat 2.5 to 4 feet long with girzzled, silvery-gray fur, prominent, long black ear tufts (2 inches long), and a short stubby tail that is completely black at the tip.

Tracks are large, averaging 3.7 inches wide and 4.5 inches long for front paws and 3 x 3.1 inches for rear paws. Pads are usually round and unlobed; unlike canids (dogs), all felid (cat) tracks generally have no claw marks.

According to Michigan State University, lynx sightings have only been confirmed three times in Michigan since 2003. The lynx is classified as a federally threatened species.