One morning, Tim heard strange noises coming from his deck. You know that sound when someone’s walking around outside your house? It was like that, but… different.
He looked outside and couldn’t believe his eyes. Standing right there was a mama lynx!
“What’s a lynx?” you might ask. A lynx is like a really big wild cat with super fluffy fur, pointy ears with black tips that look like little paintbrushes, and giant paws that work like snowshoes. They’re about as big as a large dog!
The Big Surprise
But here’s the REALLY cool part – Mama wasn’t alone!
Tim grabbed his camera super fast. And good thing he did, because what happened next was amazing!
The mama lynx made soft calling sounds, like she was saying “Come here, kids!” And then… ONE baby lynx came out. Then TWO. Then THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX… SEVEN baby lynx kittens!
That’s right – SEVEN fluffy baby wild cats all lined up right outside his door! Can you imagine counting that many wild cat babies on your deck?
A Wild Cat Playground
Tim stayed safely behind his screen door (you should NEVER go near wild animals, even cute ones!). He watched and took pictures while the lynx family did something super funny.
The mama and all seven babies started playing on his deck! They were running around, chasing each other, tumbling over each other, and having the best time ever.
Then they moved to his yard and played even more! It was like his backyard turned into a wild cat playground.
What Tim Learned About Lynx Moms
After watching them for a while, Tim said something really funny. He said that lynx moms probably spend about 1 percent of their time hunting for food (like catching rabbits), and 99 percent of their time chasing after their crazy, energetic kids!
Does that sound like YOUR mom trying to keep up with you and your brothers and sisters? Wild animal moms have the same problem!
The baby lynx were running everywhere, jumping on each other, playing tag, and basically being as wild and silly as wild cats can be. And poor Mama Lynx was trying to keep an eye on ALL SEVEN of them!
Why This Was So Special
Seeing one wild lynx is already super rare and special. But seeing a mama with SEVEN babies? That almost never happens! Most people who live in Alaska their whole lives never see anything like this.
Tim was so lucky that this lynx family chose his house for playtime. They felt safe enough to let their babies run around and play right there on his deck.
It’s like the wild animals trusted that this was a good, safe place. Maybe Mama Lynx was showing her babies around their neighborhood, just like your mom might show you around your town!