A lynx can grow to about 130 centimetres long and weigh up to 30 kilograms — roughly the size of a medium dog — but it moves almost without sound. Its large padded paws have soft fur between the toes that muffles each footstep, making it one of the stealthiest hunters in Europe.
Lynx hunt mainly at dawn and dusk, which is when roe deer, chamois, and mountain hares are most active. They rely on their enormous amber eyes, which can see six times better than human eyes in low light, and their rotating ears to pinpoint exactly where prey is before they move in silently.
Despite being such a skilled hunter, a lynx usually only manages to catch one deer every five to seven days. Most of their hunting attempts fail. When they do catch something large, they cover the carcass with leaves and snow and return to it over several days, like a packed lunch for the week.
Lynx are solitary animals — each adult has a huge home territory, sometimes over 300 square kilometres. They mark trees and rocks at the edges of their territory with scent so that other lynx know to stay away. A mother lynx raises her kittens alone, usually two or three at a time.