Utica Zoo Needs Your Help With The Canada Lynx Exhibit Renovation

The Utica Zoo has a new resident who relocated from a Pennsylvania zoo to Central New York. Meet Denali, a two year old female Canada Lynx.

Denali will be joining Breton, who is around 7 years old, and became part of the Utica Zoo’s animal kingdom.

Breton and Denali have been recommended to breed and will require a separate area for Denali to care for her kit(s).  Canada Lynx typically give birth in the spring to 1-4 kittens in their litter.  In the wild, young kits can care for themselves around age 10 months and generally stay with their mothers for up to two years.

According to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature’s) Red List of Endangered Species, the conservation status for Canada Lynx is currently stable and can be found throughout most of mainland Alaska and occupy 95% of their historic range in Canada.

They were listed as Threatened in the Endangered Species Act of 2000 due to inadequate regulations monitoring their habitat, the boreal forest regions of North America which is also inhabited by the lynx’ main prey, the Snowshoe Hare. In the contiguous United States, lynx historically occurred in 24 states.

The Utica Zoo has not had Canada Lynx kits in the past. Prior to Denali joining Breton, the exhibit was home to two brothers.  In March, 2020, Logan traveled to Ochsner Park Zoo in Baraboo Wisconsin to also join a female as a breeding pair.  The current exhibit is older and is in need of a renovation to meet our ever increasing high standards as well as to provide for probable Lynx kittens.

How To Help The Zoo

Through a grant made anonymously in memory of a remarkable man to address several projects, the Utica Zoo currently has a balance of $7,414.12 toward this project. Through October 31st, all funds donated up to $20,000 will be matched by Joan Sinnott, PhD.

Contributions can be made through the mail, online at www.uticazoo.org or by calling 315-738-0472 Ext 44.