Bobcat sightings on the increase in Ohio

ZANESVILLE - A man's video of a bobcat at the back door of his Chandlersville-area home is making its rounds on Facebook.

The animal's visit displays how the population continues to increase in Muskingum County and around the state, especially the southeastern corridor, said Communications Manager John Windau.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife website, there were more than 500 bobcat sightings in Ohio last year, including 22 in Muskingum County.

Guernsey County has the highest number with 53, while Noble (38), Coshocton (27), Perry (18) and Morgan (11) are among counties in double digits.

Bobcats have short, dense, soft fur and coat color varies, but can include light gray, yellowish brown, brown or reddish brown on the upper body parts. The fur on the middle of the back is usually darker than the sides, and the under parts and inside of the legs are generally whitish colors with dark spots or bars. The back of the ears are black with white spots, and the top tip of the ear and tail is black.

Windau said most verified sightings come from trail cameras and those killed on the road.

Bobcats are native to Ohio, according to the ODNR. They were delisted at one time and were on the state's endangered list  in 1974. They moved to threatened in 2012 and were removed from that list in 2014.

Dr. Shauna Weyrauch of the Ohio State University Newark campus also did a project in the summer of 2015, studying the bobcat population of Coshocton County. She setup digital cameras with motion sensors at 15 sites, and captured nine bobcat images during a 1,200-hour duration.

At the time, Weyrauch said finding natural predators such as bobcats means Coshocton is reclaiming some of its wild natural heritage.

"They were extirpated (rooted out) from the state in the late 1800s," Windau said. "We have contracted out surveys, but since they were removed, we have scaled that back.

"Their populations have been increasing in neighboring states like West Virginia and Kentucky, and they are filling back in the hole that was left."

Generally, bobcats are solitary, territorial animals and live in wooded areas, which makes sightings elusive. Adult females have an extremely low tolerance of other adult females in their home range, while males are more tolerant of others males within their range, according to ODNR.

Bobcats generally lie in wait for their prey, pouncing when an animal comes near, and pursuit rarely extends more than 60 feet. Bobcats are carnivores and consume a wide variety of insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds, and mammals. Rabbits and, in northern latitudes, white-tailed deer are important components of the bobcat's diet.

"People should treat them like any wild animal," Windau said. "They are usually shy, but do not corner or threaten them if they get close. We encourage people to enjoy them from a distance."

bhannahs@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

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Twitter: @brandonhannahs