OT/MISC Ontario woman's 'kitty, kitty' video of encounter with lynx draws awe, ridicule

Housecarl

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https://ca.news.yahoo.com/ontario-womans-kitty-kitty-video-encounter-lynx-draws-173207154.html

Ontario woman's 'kitty, kitty' video of encounter with lynx draws awe, ridicule

By Linda Shearman, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – Thu, 26 Mar, 2015
264 Comments

This could be the ultimate cat video.

A northern Ontario woman who came upon a wild lynx outside her shop captured the encounter on video and posted it to YouTube, drawing both awe and ridicule from online commentators.

Beth-Ann Colebourne, 31, says the chance meeting happened Tuesday evening outside her nail salon in Terrace Bay, Ont., about 225 km east of Thunder Bay in northern Ontario.

Colebourne says she didn't feel threatened by the animal and made sure she gave it room to get away, but her calls of "Kitty, kitty, kitty" and "What's up buddy, what are you doing?" had some commentators questioning her sanity.

Despite her invitations of "Hey, Lynx!" and "Come here," the animal appears uninterested in making friends and walks quickly away, looking back several times.

Colebourne, who has two children and describes herself as an animal lover, also posted video of herself chasing a bear away from a crosswalk while she was riding her ATV last summer and was worried about the bear getting too close to some children.

She says she's lived in the northern community for eight years after moving from Toronto, and has seen lots of bears, as well as fox, moose and many other wild animals. But she says lynx are extremely rare in the area.

"People who have lived here all their life have never seen footage or a picture like that, ever, so that was really crazy."

When she saw the lynx outside "just looking" at her, she couldn't resist following it and taking the video, adding she moved slowly so as not to scare the cat and didn't corner or threaten it.

"I felt like a kid in a candy shop, you know when you see a really cool animal at the zoo or something," she said. "So I just walked up to him and talked to him."

Not everyone thought it was so cool.

"You're lucky that lynx didn't feel like playing," posted someone named "Illusive."

"It's all fun and games right up until you lose your face," added Igor Rebenko.

"What am I doing? I am not eating your face off right now that's what I'm doing!" posted "supbrotv."

A few people came to her defence.

"In Canada, dangerous wild animals are often treated as cute and cuddly little critters as shown in this video. We just don't get scared like normal people," wrote Marcel Gagne.

Colebourne says she understands why people might think her actions are crazy, but the negative posts don't bother her.

"It's just who I am," she says, adding those who know her have dubbed her "the crazy cat lady whisperer."

"It's embarrassing but it's hilarious at the same time. It's funny to me."

By Thursday afternoon, Colebourne's YouTube video had been viewed more than 40,000 times.
 

Hfcomms

EN66iq
Not everyone thought it was so cool.

I suppose some thought the appropriate response is to run away shrieking in terror. That would trigger the animals prey response. Makes a lot more sense to be non-threatening and to act in a way that won't trip the animal's trigger.
 

Halfdar

Cold and pissy
We all know that cats just loooove a moving target. I would love to see the experts on the internet and in the comments sections try their strategy, and film the results for our entertainment.
 

Willow

Veteran Member
As I watched the video I wondered what was wrong with the cat. Lynx and other wild felines are seldom seen because they are so quick to disappear from site. I guess reclusive might fit. This cat not only didn't hide but his/her body language did not really show a high degree of fear. Two things came to mind...sick or captive raised. Just not normal wild feline behavior unless the region where this cat lives somehow promotes this behavior when in close contact with humans.

Willow
 

mrrk1562

Veteran Member
I didn't see any thing wrong with what the woman did ..the lynx was cool with it ..just hanging out ...
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Well, yeah... except lynx DON'T generally "just hang out" in the middle of a busy city neighborhood!!

Something not quite right about that cat... I also suspect it was "tame" at some point.

Summerthyme
 

Garryowen

Deceased
I understand that they are generally solitary, and don't often leave wooded areas. We have some in Illinois, but they are rarely seen.
 

homecanner1

Veteran Member
Lynx don't respond to being summoned " kitty kitty ".

She should not have pursued it too far, did you see the size of those clawed snowboots on " kitty "?
 

Straycat

Veteran Member
Well, yeah... except lynx DON'T generally "just hang out" in the middle of a busy city neighborhood!!

Something not quite right about that cat... I also suspect it was "tame" at some point.

Summerthyme

I think that lynx has had human contact before. It's cautious, but definitely not as wary of humans as it should be. When wild cats seek out human habitation, it's usually because that's what they're familiar with. Maybe someone was regularly feeding it or it was an exotic pet that escaped or got dumped. If that's the case, it will likely end up either starving to death or being euthanized as a threat. That's usually what happens.
 

Kook

A 'maker', not a 'taker'!
As I watched the video I wondered what was wrong with the cat. Lynx and other wild felines are seldom seen because they are so quick to disappear from site. I guess reclusive might fit. This cat not only didn't hide but his/her body language did not really show a high degree of fear. Two things came to mind...sick or captive raised. Just not normal wild feline behavior unless the region where this cat lives somehow promotes this behavior when in close contact with humans.

Willow

I'm thinking a case of 'dumb' rabies. Never approach a wild animal that acts tame or lethargic for that reason.
 

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Kook... no, that cat is clearly healthy. "Dumb rabies" sufferers don't look right... and they sure don't walk with the fluid grace that cat displays. Somewhere along the line, that cat was habituated to humans.

Summerthyme
 
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