A Canada lynx kitten is making his debut this week at the Minnesota Zoo.

The lynx, born May 11 at the Apple Valley zoo, has been spending time with his mother.

The kitten, who has yet be named, is now old enough to leave the den and explore the exhibit with his mother.

His father and another adult male also are in the exhibit on a rotating basis.

Spokeswoman Kelly Lessard said the zoo didn't record the kitten's birth weight, but he weighed in at 2.9 pounds on July 3. He's now up to almost 6 pounds and should eventually grow to almost 29 pounds, she said.

The lynx has begun eating solid food, and zookeepers have noticed that he's "very enthusiastic" about his meat-based diet, Lessard said.

Colleen Kelly, Star Tribune
The Minnesota Zoo welcomed a new Canada lynx kitten on the Minnesota Trail exhibit. The male lynx was born on May 11, 2012.

The zoo said the new lynx is still adjusting to the exhibit, so viewing opportunities will vary, depending on how much time the animal wants to spend in that area on the zoo's Medtronic Minnesota Trail.

Canada lynx have dense silvery-brown coats, ruffed faces and tufted ears. Their furry coats and paws make them well-suited to cold habitats in northern forests.

Snowshoe hare are the lynx's primary food source. Unable to run for long distances, lynx stalk and attack prey at close range. Canada lynx are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The new kitten is the second lynx to be born at the zoo in the past two years.

The new lynx won't stay at the Minnesota Zoo indefinitely. Lessard said he could leave when he's about a year old, but there are no specific plans for where he might go.

SUSAN FEYDER