Bobcat: Return of a Native Ohio Wild Cat

Bobcats are elusive, charismatic, and ecologically important carnivores.  Habitat loss and over-harvesting lead to their extirpation from Ohio by the mid-1800s, but in recent years, they have mounted a comeback.  Beginning in 2015, Project Wild Coshocton (a research team at The Ohio State University Newark) began documenting the distribution of bobcats in east-central Ohio using trail cameras.  In this presentation, learn about factors that have enabled bobcats to return, their current status in the state, the valuable role they play in ecosystems, as well as efforts underway to improve habitat for bobcats.