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We Heart Lynxes

Omak & Nuka
Bonded together

We heart lynxes – especially Omak and Nuka! The two cats get along really well. Keep scrolling for fun facts, videos and stories!

two lynxes circling
Bonded - not mated
Still together.

Nuka (female) and Omak (male) live together as a bonded pair for most of the year – this means they share space but don’t mate. Maybe one day… In the meantime, they like play-chasing each other around and even sharing enrichment items. During breeding season in late winter and spring, they take turns enjoying their forested habitat.

lynx
What do lynxes love?
Hunting and treats.

So what do our lynxes love to do?

Nuka likes stalking birds, and keepers too! She follows them as they work, hiding behind trees.

Omak’s favorite treat is chicken gizzards – if a keeper has them, he’ll pay more attention!

Fun facts
about lynxes
  • A lynx’s large paws support it like snowshoes when walking over deep snow.
  • Not a fast, long-distance runner, it usually ambushes or silently stalks its prey, relying on a surprise rush for capture.
  • They eat snowshoe hare, plus small mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates and occasionally deer.
  • After a 2-month pregnancy, females give birth to a litter of 1-8 kittens weighing only a few ounces.

Lynx Stories

WILDLY IN LOVE

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and love is in the air at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park! There’s no concrete way to measure an animal’s love but many of the animals at Northwest Trek are coupled up, or longtime companions, and enjoy each other’s company. Of course, Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples- it’s about celebrating friendship and family, too! Swans Trumpeter swans mate for life, and the current pair in Northwest Trek’s 435-acre Free-Roaming Area are no exception. Rescued with wing injuries that left them unable to fly, they are always by each other’s side, waddling or swimming …

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Nuka’s Contraceptive

Baby animals are lovely – but for animals in human care, they need careful planning. At Northwest Trek this November, that was the case for Nuka, a female Canada lynx who headed into the veterinary clinic one bright fall morning to get her contraceptive implant replaced. A fairly simple procedure, but one that came with a scientific backstory – and an opportunity for Nuka’s human team to care for her in a host of other ways as well. “Okay, she’s looking great,” commented Dr. Allison Case, the wildlife park’s veterinarian, as Nuka was connected to a brand new portable anesthesia …

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Lynxed together

Omak was a Colorado guy who came to Northwest Trek as a youngster in 2014. Nuka swung into town in 2018, a female originally intended to be his mate. Now, finally, both Canada lynxes are together on exhibit – but just as companions. And they’re getting along extremely well. “Nuka and Omak were first introduced behind the scenes and over time became comfortable together” said Withers. “Guests can often see them on opposite sides of the habitat, but they don’t seem to mind sharing the space. Sometimes they even share enrichment items!” Change of Plan Originally, the plan was to …

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