Conservation of Bob Cat

Project Animal(s) : Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Project Category : Mammals
Project Region : South America
Project Type : Conservation
Project URL : http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=96
Project is timebound? : No

he bobcat is included in Appendix II of CITES. Hunting and trade of the bobcat is regulated throughout its range. It is legally harvested in 38 US states and 7 Canadian provinces. The bobcat is not protected in Canada and in Mexico hunting is regulated in five states. In Mexico shooting of bobcats suspected to have killed livestock is permitted on a limited basis and it is hunted as a trophy animal in small numbers. There appears to be little illegal international trade.

The bobcat is a popular game animal and in recent years demand for bobcat fur has increased. Therefore, it is important to closely monitor the trade and bobcat populations. The bobcat is the subject of many research studies and one of the most studied cat species in the world. Nevertheless, the population of Mexico is not well known and there is still concern over whether commercial trapping is sustainable. The bobcat monitoring is still not satisfactory in all parts of its range. Further research on bobcat distribution, abundance, and habitat relationships are important research needs and an effective monitoring in all parts of the bobcat’s range is needed to be able to adequately control harvest activities and determine their sustainability.

In Georgia and New Jersey bobcats were successfully reintroduced. There were petitions for removing the bobcat from the CITES Appendices with the arguments that the bobcat does not meet the biological criteria for CITES anymore and that skins of bobcats could be reliably distinguished from other furs. However, the proposal was rejected and the bobcat is still included in Appendix II of CITES.

Project Agency : Cat Specialist Group

Project Agency Contact : http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=1

Additional Information :

http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=13