How Did Bobcats Come Back from the Brink?

thanks for asking. These days, they're pretty common and can be found in almost every state in the lower forty eight, as well as throughout most of Mexico and parts of Canada. They look a bit like a domestic housecat, so much so the people have accidentally rescued bobcat kittens from the side of the road. Except the adult bobcats grow to be as big as a mid sized dog and are a far site less friendly. With a sleek, brown spotted coat,

a short tail, and tufted ears. You would never mistake a grown bobcat for a pet, but you might mistake it for a Canadian lynx. That's Lynx canadensis in North America. The difference between a bobcat and a lynx has a bit to do with the size of the feet, the color of the coat, and the length of the ear tufts. Links. However, live in northern latitudes and high elevations, and bobcats can be found almost anywhere deserts, wetlands, forests, you name it. Also,

bobcats have notoriously assertive personalities. According to the San Diego Zoo, they're referred to by zookeepers as the spitfires of the animal kingdom for their unwillingness to back down from a kill and just general audacity. A full grown bobcat is only about thirty three pounds that's fifteen kilos, but is able to bring down a two hundred and fifty pound deer by itself that's about a hundred and ten kilos. Not only are bobcats tenacious, they're also resilient and adaptable

to land use change. We spoke with John litt Vedis, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Natural Resources in the Environment at the University of New Hampshire. According to litt Vedis's research, bounty records from New Hampshire from the early eighteen hundreds to today show that as old growth trees were cleared for agriculture and timber replaced in many places,

with she young forests, bobcat numbers skyrocketed. Their favorite foods, rabbits, deer, grouse, and basically anything else that likes to live in a scrubby, impenetrable thicket were well supported by a young forest, But as the forests aged into old ones that didn't harbor as many rabbits, and as coyotes, which compete with bobcats were introduced to New Hampshire, and as bobcat firs became

popular in the mid twentieth century, numbers plummeted. These factors, accompanied by some particularly harsh winters in New Hampshire in the nineteen seventies and eighties, resulted in the bobcat population tanking by the population in this state, where they had once flourished, was most likely fewer than a hundred and fifty animals. A similar trend could be seen all over the United States. But then the states started protecting bobcats by putting strict limits on how many could be hunted

or trapped. With less human intervention, bobcats are doing much better Vedas said, bobcat populations are increasing now throughout much of their geographic range. I'm amazed at the abilities they have to adapt to a demanding and changing environment. Because, unlike coyotes and foxes, bobcats are strict carnivores, so their diet places substantial challenges to acclimating to suburban and urban life. In New Hampshire, bobcat numbers were estimated to be around

one thousand four and are even higher today. So how do they manage maintaining a strict carnivores diet while living catches catch can and human centered landscapes. They work smarter, not harder, preying on our backyard chickens and other animals that do well hanging out around people, Veta said. In the Northeast, staying close to a bird feeder during winter seems to help bobcats snag unsuspecting squirrels and thus get

through the toughest time of the year. Of course, cohabiting with humans isn't always great for either the bobcat or the humans. The cats are more likely to be hit by cars or have unpleasant run ins with humans if they're lounging around in someone's backyard waiting for a turk key or chipmunk to wander through. Should you encounter a bobcat, the best advice is to give it as much respect

and space as possible. Similarly, a small dog or housecat might be targeted by a bobcat as a potential meal, and domestic cats are susceptible to a tick boorn disease called bobcat fever, for which bobcats are the natural host. In the meantime, bobcats are doing so well that some states like Illinois have passed laws reinstating bobcat hunting and trapping season for the first time in forty years. But now the question is how do we maintain a good

relationship with bobcat neighbors. It's tricky, but public education about how to safely cohabitate with bobcats will help. Mostly, as we said, leave them alone, don't feed them, and keep an eye on children and animals if you've spotted one in the neighborhood. Also, like any housecat, they'll take the hint that they're not welcome if you spray them with water. Leveda said, I'm happy they're thriving. For me, they symbolize the wild portrait of nature, and I'm glad they're doing well.

Today's episode was written by Jessicuin Shields and produced by Tyler clang. Brain Stuff is a production of iHeart Radios How Stuff Works. For more in this and lots of other catty topics, visit our home planet has stuff works dot com and for more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.