DENVER — Some elusive lynx have been parading past awe-struck Colorado residents and visitors this winter, electrifying social media and giving biologists reason to smile.

One of the rare, fluffy-looking cats strolled across the Purgatory resort in southwestern Colorado last week, threading through a crowd of skiers and snowboarders who stopped to take videos.

Two weeks earlier, a pair of lynx loped along a mountain highway just a few feet from Dontje Hildebrand’s car. Hildebrand says his heart nearly leaped out of his chest when he realized what he was seeing (photo at left). Lynx are medium-size cats with broad paws that work like snowshoes, letting them walk across powdery snow.

— Associated Press