Wildlife experts say more and more bobcat sightings are likely across Connecticut as their population grows.
It’s not just bears that call Connecticut home. Bobcats are thriving here, and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) continues to track the species population.
They might look cute, but they aren’t a cat you want to approach.
“They are just an interesting cat, they are cool to watch, just a bit bigger than a house cat,” said Emerson Chvisuk. “I wouldn’t approach one.”
He was with us when our camera caught a bobcat heading up the trail at Sleeping Giant State Park on Monday.
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“This is the first time I’ve seen them at Sleeping Giant,” he said.
This was one of a few sightings in recent weeks submitted to NBC Connecticut by viewers. An NBC Connecticut employee even caught one on their Ring camera taking a walk up a driveway in Farmington.
“Whenever there is a wild animal that could possibly pose any danger to our community, we put out an alert in accordance with federal law,” said John Morgan with Quinnipiac University.
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They sent out an alert to students and faculty on campus when one got a little too close to campus Sunday. The warning was just to alert students to be diligent and never approach the species.
“I would say we probably have one of the densest bobcat populations around, certainly in the east,” said Jason Hawley, with DEEP.
Hawley said the species serves as an apex predator in Connecticut. Their hunting efforts help control deer, rodent, and other mammal populations. He notes they are vital to Connecticut’s ecosystem and generally fall into the category of more scared of you than you are of them.
He said respecting them from a distance is the recommended strategy if you encounter one or see one in your yard.
“Not a lot of concerns for human interactions, for a healthy bobcat,” Hawley said.
Most negative interactions happen when the bobcat is sick, infected with something like rabies.
He said if you don’t want it around, generally loud noises scare them off, just like bears. But he also encouraged people to enjoy sightings of the elusive predator.
“Enjoy the sighting, they are sort of solitary, cryptic animals. You don’t see them very often,” Hawley said.
It wasn’t that many years ago experts note, seeing one was very rare. The species has made a significant rebound in population in recent decades. The population hit a low point in the 1940s due to de-forestation.
“It’s been a really good story of conservation,” said Sarah Lawson, a professor at Quinnipiac University.
Connecticut is back up to about 60% forest cover, and forest cover, specifically younger forest, is where the species likes to live. The species has also been off the hunting list since 1972.
Lawson, like DEEP, also noted they are critical to a healthy forest ecosystem.
“They are the ones holding everything together, they are regulating the population of secondary consumers and sometimes primary consumers. Their population would grow exponentially without these bobcats to fill that role,” said Lawson. “So they really keep that nice balance -- that healthy balance between all the species in our Connecticut forests.”
She pointed to a DEEP study from a few years ago that indicated the species is choosing habitat relatively close to humans, so sightings aren’t all that rare. She said like most predators, the population will likely fluctuate based on habitat and food availability.
DEEP also asks Connecticut residents to report sightings through their website so they can continue to research the animal.
“They are in my yard all the time, they don’t bother us, they are cool to watch, they are neat,” Chvisuk said.
