December 2025 Wildlife Photography Contest Intermediate Category Winner

Canada lynx are elusive and challenging to find. Over the last few years, I have spent many hours in search of them, and in March 2025, these efforts were rewarded with an amazing encounter. It was a cold and dark morning driving through Riding Mountain National Park. The goal was to arrive on location before sunrise. I spent hours searching before getting a tip that a lynx had been spotted briefly before disappearing into the trees.

I patiently watched, listened, and waited, just hoping the lynx would reappear. Then suddenly I spotted him, back in the trees, quietly sitting and observing the world around him. My heart started to beat faster with excitement as my camera came up to begin capturing the moment. I watched as he casually got up and began to stroll along the ridge, slowly making his way closer toward me. As he reached the edge of the trees, he stopped to investigate some scent markings left behind by another lynx. Time seemed to stand still while I watched him. He was in no hurry as he sniffed the ground, occasionally looking up toward me. The lynx then calmly got up, moving even closer before coming down from the snow ridge. He looked over at me with his stunning ear tufts and intense eyes, then crossed the open area in front of me before disappearing into the forest. Minutes passed as I remained mesmerized by the encounter that seemed surreal, simply taking it all in.
This experience is what continues to drive me into nature, looking for wildlife and being invited into their world.

This is a place where I can feel grounded and authentically in the moment, where the stress of life disappears for a while and where I can simply “just be.”

 @rplettphotography
March 2025
Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, Canada
Canon R5, RF 100-500mm