Eurasian-Lynx-in-Woodland
A Story by Harry Read and Edwin Towler

‘The Missing Lynx’

‘The Missing Lynx’:
A Story by Harry Read and Edwin Towler

As winter finally gives way to spring, the brutal, lingering cold loosens its grip on the boreal forests of Finland. In a remote, secret area of Finland’s boreal forest, conditions for a certain creature are just right. Snow-covered forests and ice-encrusted fields begin to thaw as wildlife activity slowly picks up across the land. Large populations of Brown Hare, Roe Deer, and White-Tailed Deer gather here, feeding on the fresh vegetation. Dense forest is fringed with open fields. One of the most secretive predators in Europe roams silently through this cover: the Eurasian Lynx. It follows the movements of its prey across vast swathes of unbroken wilderness, roaming the forest edges silently and stealthily, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush its unsuspecting quarry.

In Spring 2025, we (wildlife filmmakers Harry Read and Edwin Towler) ventured into the untouched boreal forests of Finland with a very specific mission: to find a wild Eurasian Lynx, supported by Leica Sport Optics. We learned from our friend and renowned Lynx expert, Ossi Saarinen - a local guide and wildlife photographer who knows the behaviour of these creatures better than anyone else.

The stakes were high: for Harry, it was an attempt to break a lifelong Lynx curse, having made twelve separate visits to Finland to observe and film wildlife without catching even a ‘sniff’ of a Lynx. For Ed, it meant seeing a large European predator on foot for the first time in his life.

A wildlife observer using a Leica Televid 82 spotting scope on a tripod in a sunlit forest.

Keeping Our Distance

Attempting to find and film a wild Lynx was going to be a challenge at best, and futile at worst. Before we arrived, we knew we would need to use everything in our power to increase our chances. It would be essential to minimise the impact of our presence in the landscape, so we took no extra crew members - capturing the mission ourselves. As always, we’d have to be incredibly patient. Lynx are most active at night, so we deployed several infrared trail cameras on heavily used deer trails in the hope that a Lynx might use them to follow the scent of their prey. We would also be relying on some secret weapons for the mission; Using the Leica Noctivid binoculars and Leica Televid HD 82 Spotting Scope, we were able to scan the vast landscape over both shorter and longer distances. After the first week of no Lynx sightings, our days were made up of constant spotting exercises, constantly peering into the shadowy fringes of the forest. We knew that Lynx are most active during the twilight hours, so the impressive image brightness provided us with the high contrast viewing we needed. We also made use of thermal viewing technology in the form of the Leica Calonox View, a real game-changer. When night fell, a different world presented itself to us, as deer, hares, rodents and nocturnal birds began to appear. If we could spot a Lynx moving in the night, we might be able to predict its movements when daylight broke. The Eurasian Lynx has acute senses, its eyesight is incredibly sharp sensitive to light allowing it to spot small prey at a great distance, in low light conditions. Their hearing is highly sensitive, aided by their distinctive ear tufts, which funnel and amplify sounds like tiny satellite dishes. We made sure we were always wearing muted colours whilst tracking on foot, and spent hours on end sitting completely still, watching and waiting from vantage points.

Close-up of a lesser spotted woodpecker perched on the side of a tree trunk.

Looking for a needle in a Haystack

We searched for any clues we could find, moving step by step, across Finland’s endless green expanse. Over 75% of the country is cloaked in boreal forest, an astonishing 23 million hectares of woodland, stretching as far as the eye can see. When you come in to land above Finland, you can truly appreciate why this part of Northern Europe supports healthy populations of predators. From brown bears and wolverines to lynx and wolves, the ecosystem is still healthy and ecologically functional.

Despite the vastness, Finland holds around 2,300 lynx, making it one of Europe’s most stable populations. Yet even here, sightings are rare. Many Finns will go their entire life without catching a glimpse of this animal. To enter the lynx’s world was to live on its terms, accepting the scale and silence of the search area, and trusting that every sweep of our spotting scope brought us closer into its hidden world. We were looking for a tufty-eared needle in a boreal haystack.

Finnish Nature

We were blown away by the sheer variety of life that revealed itself during our long hours in the field. We moved through a largely flat landscape, where dense expanses of forest opened into wetlands, bogs and farmed fields. Our silence and constant observation revealed an enchanting world of Nordic wildlife to us. We enjoyed close encounters with impressive moose, which grazed calmly on young shrubs. Large herds of white-tailed deer grazed like hooved lawnmowers, the outer animals always on high alert with their heads up. On several occasions they let out loud alarm barks, signalling potential danger to the herd.

 

A red squirrel, captured through phonescoping with the Leica Televid HD 82 and iPhone 15 Pro, reflects the abundance of Finnish wildlife encountered during the lynx expedition.

Three wildlife observers in outdoor gear sitting in a forest during dusk, using Leica binoculars and thermal imaging equipment while on a lynx stakeout.

When night fell, temperatures usually fell below zero and we continued to scan fields for any signs of Lynx. On a particularly clear and memorable night, a magnificent curtain of green appeared, as the Northern Lights rippled in the sky. We scanned the fields using our thermal binoculars. A determined-looking mammalian creature moved eagerly through the trees, and our hearts raced as we confirmed that we had finally caught sight of . . . a badger. Never mind.

Birdlife was everywhere; by day, we were joined by parties of crested tits and goldcrests, chattering to each other in the firs above us. Crossbills regularly perched above us, whilst the trumpeting calls of common cranes echoed across the bogs. Red squirrels darted through the canopy, their orange coats flashing as they leapt between pines. By night, tawny and ural owls swooped through forest clearings in search of their rodent prey, and on milder nights we stumbled across mass migrations of toads, moving to the lakes to breed. Each of these encounters deepened our sense of immersion in the vast northern wilderness. These smaller creatures formed the foundation of the food chain, ultimately sustaining the top predators, one of which we were still desperately waiting to see.

A wildlife filmmaker carrying a Leica Televid spotting scope on a tripod while walking through the forest.

The Secret Life of Lynx

After over a week of running multiple trail cameras deep in the forest, we checked them to find not a single hint of a Lynx. Even on these well used trails they had evaded us, reminding us what we were up against. In Finland, lynx hunt mainly white-tailed deer, roe deer, hares, and occasionally small mammals and birds. They are ambush predators, hunting with incredible stealth and bursts of power to catch prey off guard. In winter, their snowshoe-like paws keep maintain their hunting prowess in snow.

As we scoured the fields with our thermals, in the distance we noticed something unusual. Deer were barking frantically. We knew it was something unusual, so we returned the following morning to check the area. After a short search, we found our first major clue. A roe deer carcass! The scene was telling, mud churned where the deer had been taken down, its body dragged into a small ditch and hidden carefully beneath birch leaves. The predator had begun feeding on the haunches of the deer, a telltale sign that this was a lynx kill. Lynx often conceal kills to return to later. Finally - proof that a lynx was working these forests. A glimmer of hope in the form of venison.

A Eurasian lynx prowling silently through the forest undergrowth at dusk.

Glimpses of a Ghost

We camped out in the nearby forest - far away enough from the carcass to not disturb anything, but close enough to spot its supposed killer. Hours passed. Perhaps the lynx had moved off - its territory could span hundreds of square-kilometers. Then, out of the treeline, a shape materialised. The triangular head, tufted ears, long legs, and fluid, catlike movements were unmistakable on the Calonox View. LYNX! Our hearts were beating in overdrive - nothing could top this.

Then two lynx kittens padded into view. Holy moly.

A mother lynx with her kittens! She had almost certainly taken down the deer, and now her young followed her to feed. We watched in awe as they sauntered through the shadows, feeding, resting, and lying together in a tight-knit huddle. A tender glimpse into their hidden world, the ghosts of the boreal forest had finally revealed themselves. Through the thermals, we could see the mother scent marking rocks, and the youngsters cleaning each other. We watched the family into the early hours of the morning, before they disappeared back into the forest.

Eurasian-Lynx

“Ilves”

As we drove out of the wilderness the next evening, we reflected on what had been the trip of a lifetime. We were part of a privileged few to have witnessed lynx in the wild, albeit through thermal-imaging equipment. Our affirmations were then interrupted when a local flagged us down from her car. With our limited (non-existent) understanding of the Finnish language, we listened as she spoke with Ossi. She was speaking hurriedly with a big smile on her face, and to our surprise she uttered one word that we did recognise - “Ilves”. The finnish word for lynx. We ushered our deepest thanks with hand gestures and some bad mimicking of whatever Ossi was saying, and departed once more back into the wild. As the light drained from the sky, we hurried to a vantage point above the treeline. We were greeted by a view of two lynx out in the open, likely a female and her kitten. There was no need for thermals - this time, we’d well and truly seen them with our own eyes. In the setting sun, it was as if their secrecy had melted away. They strolled past us, scanning the horizon with confidence, completely unphased by our presence. A moment none of us will ever forget. Our quest was complete.

Noctivids-on-Rock-Wide

Noctivid binoculars

"In my work as an ecologist, I am often out during dawn and dusk watching wildlife when it is most active, but when light levels are sub-optimal. Whether watching ghostly barn owls quarter grasslands during twilight, or surveying farmland birds at dawn, the Leica Noctivids brightness is unbeaten."

Harry Read

 

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Eurasian-Lynx-Kitten

"I was blown away by their low light capability (and colour fidelity) whilst searching for Europe’s most elusive mammal, a dusk specialist, in the Finnish wilderness. I was able to pick out the pale fringed fur of the Eurasian Lynx as it skulked along the forest edges as it stalked Roe Deer. It gave us a huge advantage in spotting wildlife quickly, and to film this enchanting species going about its life."

Harry Read