General Information

Bobcats are native to Ohio, but as humans began to settle in the state, bobcats moved out. They were extirpated from the state in 1850. Beginning in the 1970s, however, occasional sightings of bobcats were reported throughout Ohio. They were placed on the endangered species list in 1974. Since then, more and more bobcats have been observed each year, and in 2012 bobcats were down-listed from endangered to threatened in the state of Ohio. Today, they are no longer on the threatened list in Ohio but are still considered a protected species, with hunting and trapping prohibited.

Meet Our Bobcats

Three bobcats, Bitty, Bob, and Diego, reside in the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden—Presented by KeyBank at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Lifespan

Wild: 8–12 years
Captivity: 20–25 years

Fun Facts

• Bobcats are solitary creatures and usually only come together to mate. The females take care of the young until they are old enough to be on their own. Both males and females will mate with various partners.
• The bobcat has the largest range of any native wild cat in North America and is also the most abundant of all the native wild cats in the United States.
• Bobcats are excellent climbers and jumpers and can jump as high as 12 feet.
• Bobcats are carnivorous and prefer to prey on the eastern cottontail or snowshoe hare. However, they are not picky and will prey on various animals, from small rodents to white-tailed deer.