By Tammy O'Neil, Wildlife Care Manager
The bobcat population in Ohio has increased in abundance and distribution over the last few years. So much so, that bobcats were removed from the Ohio Endangered and Threatened Species List in 2014. The latest verified sightings report from 2017 shows a healthy population of around 500 bobcats. Due to the stable population, it is no surprise that the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center received another bobcat kitten in April 2018. A visitor to Tappan Lake in Harrison County, Ohio saw a red fox carrying what she believed to be a kitten. She yelled at the fox, it dropped the kitten, and she took it to her local veterinarian. The veterinarian identified it as a bobcat and called the Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODW) to find out what to do with the bobcat. Because the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center has the permits and qualifications to be the main bobcat rehabilitation facility for the state, ODW told her to bring it to us.
This kitten was the smallest one we have received at only ½ pound in weight and around a week old. He was very weak and small for his age. Luckily this bobcat is a great eater and started to gain weight daily. After a month’s time his weight tripled and by the middle of May he weighed 2.2 pounds.
Bobcats are a predator in Ohio, so we must always have safety as one of our main priorities when dealing with an animal that is at the top of its food chain. Staff takes every safety precaution when handling the bobcat for our safety and for the safety of the bobcat. This includes making sure the bobcat does not become habituated or imprinted on people. If a bobcat expects humans to feed it or it is not afraid of humans, the end result is detrimental to the bobcat. As soon as the bobcat is eating enough on its own and maintaining its own body weight, we move it to an outside enclosure so that it is not around people as often, which allows it to maintain its wild instincts and behaviors.
The bobcat was officially moved to an intermediate outdoor enclosure in May, weighing in a little more than three pounds. He quickly adapted to being outside and had plenty of room to climb and run. He was kept in the intermediate enclosure until all of his vaccinations were up to date and we observed enough natural behaviors that we felt comfortable moving him to his final, larger enclosure to prepare him for release. He was moved to the large enclosure in July and will remain there until his release in May 2019. When he is released, we expect him to weigh 15 to 20 pounds.
In order to encourage natural behaviors, staff has arranged the bobcat’s enclosure to mimic its natural habitat. The bobcat is able to hunt, jump and climb while getting used to the sights, smells and sounds of the outdoors. We are able to observe his behaviors with recently-installed cameras placed inside the enclosure and we record data on his development and new wild behaviors we observe. Click here to see the bobcat in action!