The Columbus Metro Parks spotted a bobcat during the early morning hours of Nov. 21 at Prairie Oaks Metro Park—a rare sight for central Ohio.
A video clip shared to the park’s Instagram page on Dec. 4 shows a bobcat trotting across a trail before slipping back into the brush. Metro Parks said the sighting occurred in the early morning of Nov. 21, a different date than the one shown by the trail cameras.
Often considered one of Ohio’s most elusive native animals, Bobcats have made a steady comeback to Ohio after being considered to be completely wiped out.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, bobcats are now most often found in the state’s eastern and southern counties, though sightings in central Ohio remain uncommon. Prairie Oaks Park is located in Brown Township, west of Columbus.
The ODNR also describes bobcats as shy, solitary animals that avoid people and typically pose no threat unless cornered or approached.
Metro Parks encourages visitors to enjoy the moment from a distance and report any future sightings to Ohio’s wildlife observation system to help track the species’ continued recovery.
What are bobcats?
The ODNR says bobcats, known by their scientific name of Lynx rufus, are a small wildcat that is about twice the size of an average housecat. Domestic house cats belong to the Felidae family, which includes bobcats.
The wildcats have short, dense fur in a variety of colors and markings that are distinct for each cat.
ODNR says the back of a bobcat’s ears is black on the edges with a white spot in the center and “short black tufts at the tips.”
Its name, in part, is derived from its short “bobbed” tail.
Are bobcats common in Ohio?
Bobcats are native to Ohio. According to ODNR, they were much more common around the Buckeye State before European settlement, but “were extirpated from the state by 1850.”
The wildcats saw a resurgence in Ohio in the mid-1900s. Currently, the largest populations of bobcats are found in the eastern and southern parts of the state. ODNR says the population continues to expand into other parts of the state.
Are bobcats dangerous to humans or pets?
Bobcats are considered “ambush predators,” according to ODNR, which means they typically lie in wait for their food and pounce when their prey comes near. They rarely travel more than 60 feet in pursuit of prey.
They’re carnivores, and not picky ones at that. ODNR says their diet consists of insects, reptiles, frogs, fish and birds. In Ohio, specifically, they mostly eat rabbits, white-tailed deer and small mammals.
They are solitary animals that tend to interact only with other bobcats for breeding.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife says Bobcats generally avoid contact with humans and pose little threat to people or public health. However, they do pose a threat to small pets and unattended livestock.
How common are bobcats in Ohio?
According to ODNR, the first modern sighting of bobcats in Franklin County came in 2012. ODNR says there were six confirmed sightings in Ohio in 2001, but the most recent data from 2021 showed 561 confirmed sightings.
“Sightings are most often confirmed through trail camera images or road-killed bobcats,” ODNR says. “Bobcat sightings are most common in southeast and southern Ohio, where populations are well established. While sightings are less common in far southwest Ohio (Butler and Hamilton counties), females with kittens have been observed in these counties in recent years, indicating that a small resident population is present in this area.”
ODNR adds that sightings in northern Ohio are rare, and some counties have never confirmed a single bobcat sighting. However, it notes that research suggests portions of northern Ohio habitat are sufficient to support a future bobcat population.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Rare Bobcat spotted in Prairie Oaks Metro Park. Are bobcats common in Ohio?
Reporting by Amani Bayo, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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