Animals

Latin Name

Lynx rufus

Bobcats’ History at CuriOdyssey

Our male bobcat came to the museum in December 2009 from the National Bobcat Research and Rehabilitation Center in Texas. Caro was born in February 2009 and survived a near-fatal bout with pneumonia as a kitten.  He had become imprinted on humans so could not be released into the wild.

How long do bobcats live?

Bobcats live 10 to 15 years in the wild. In Captivity they can live up to 20+ years.

Where do bobcats live?

Bobcats’ habitats are forests, semi-desert, chaparral and mountains. They sleep in hidden dens, hollow trees, thickets or rocky crevices. Bobcats range from southern Canada to southern Mexico.

Are bobcats endangered?

Bobcats' wildlife conservation status is Species of Least Concern. There are probably almost one million bobcats living in the United States. In some areas they are quite rare, while in others they have stable and sometimes dense populations. Hence some states allow regulated hunting, while in others they are protected. A 1975 ban on international trade in pelts of other spotted cats (ocelot, leopards, etc.) accelerated the demand for bobcat fur. The annual harvest of bobcats is regulated. The far more serious threat to bobcats is the change in their habitat, as a result of human population growth and our demands on the environment.

Bobcats are listed in CITES Appendix I. CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international governmental agreement designed to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.