As part of the Kiawah Bobcat GPS Research Project, one of the world’s longest continuous studies of its kind, town biologists conducted the first trapping session from Jan. 31 to Feb. 10. During the successful session, five bobcats were fitted with GPS collars:
Bobcat 125 (new): Adult Female, Parkside Villas, 15lbs 5oz.
Bobcat 175 (recapture): Adult Female, Ocean Park, 15lbs 14oz.
Bobcat 225 (new): Subadult Male, Preserve, 17lbs, 8oz.
Bobcat 275 (recapture) Adult Female, Captain Sam's Spit, 16lbs 10oz.
Bobcat 325 (new) Adult Female, Flyway Drive, 17lbs.
A second trapping session began last week and will end on March 13. Now in its 17th year, the study provides valuable data on bobcat survival, reproductive success, food habits, habitat use, and movement patterns.
Biologists have collared a total of 104 bobcats and obtained more than 200,000 individual GPS locations.
What Are We Learning?
Kiawah’s historically healthy bobcat population began declining in 2017 due primarily to increased mortality as a result of anticoagulant poisoning.
Bobcats make extensive use of scrub-shrub, forest, and developed areas for nighttime hunting forays
Bobcats prefer scrub-shrub habitat along marsh edges and secondary dunes for daytime resting cover
Location data from bobcats are closely analyzed to look for patterns in habitat use during day and nighttime hours, denning sites, travel corridors, etc. This information is used to pinpoint specific areas or habitat types on the island that are of vital importance to bobcats and to update the Bobcat Management Guidelines for the island
Stay tuned for project updates and learn more about the study at kiawahisland.org/wildlife/bobcat-research/.
