According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the bobcat population has grown throughout Connecticut in the last decade.
Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist with DEEP, said, “Ten years ago most of our sightings were localized in northwest Connecticut. The most recent ten years, our sightings have expanded statewide and now we’ve had bobcat sightings in every town in Connecticut.”
Hawley estimates that there are between 500 to 900 bobcats in the state. DEEP is currently conducting a four-year research project to determine their exact numbers.
Hawley says a healthy adult bobcat is not a safety concern for the human population and that people who see bobcats are fortunate.
“They’re sort of a secretive animal. So oftentimes I tell people, you know, when they call up and they’re worried they saw a bobcat, I say, ‘Well, consider yourself lucky, you know, it’s a cool wildlife sighting. Keep your distance.’”
Pet owners, however, should be advised that bobcats may feed on small pets that are left outside.
Hawley says residents can keep bobcats out of their yard by getting rid of food sources like birdfeeders, which attract squirrels, which in turn are a food source for bobcats.
This report contains information from CRN.
