Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
The Bobcat wild cat is one of the four cats in the Lynx family of cats. The other close relatives of this cat are the Eurasian Lynx, Canada Lynx and Iberian Lynx. The Bobcat and Canada Lynx occur in North America and the Eurasian and Iberian Lynxes occur in Eurasia.
Bobcats are a medium size cat and adapt easily due to their generalist behavior. They occupy a variety of habitats, have a diverse diet and are adjusting to human settlements in North America.
However in the more urban areas this brings new direct threats such as vehicle collisions and rodenticides, as well as indirect threats through highways creating barriers to dispersal. Bobcats are often brought into wildlife rescue centers due to accidents or abandonment when the mother cannot return to her cubs due to a fatality.
Bobcat Audio
Listen to a short audio taken from the Bobcat chapter from The Wild Cat Book by Fiona and Mel Sunquist.
This excerpt covers the evolution of the Bobcat and how they differ from the very similar looking Canada Lynx.
~27000 Observations of Bobcats on iNaturalist
There are currently 26 896 images of Bobcats on iNaturalist including signs of the animal (such as scats and tracks), so this shows how common this species is in the United States.
iNaturalist is a global platform for the public to upload images of wild creatures they have seen in nature. If you have any photos of natural biodiversity from your travels be sure to open an account and upload your images. Identification is verified by other members and the data can be used in future research. A great way to contribute to conservation and research!
Note there are images of dead animals in case you are a sensitive viewer.
Wild Cat Tours
A great place to get tips and read trip reports from people that have been on various tours to see wild cats is MammalWatching.com.
Here is the list of recent trip reports for Bobcats and here is a list of ethical tour operators that offer wildlife trips to see cats in the wild around the world.
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