The bobcat (Lynx rufus) may be the only member of the cat family to have a permanent breeding population in the state of Minnesota. In the past, bobcats were distributed in the southern part of the state, but moved northward in the 1930s due to heavy persecution, conversion of southern prairies to agriculture, and habitat changes in the north. This project by a University of Minnesota graduate student will attempt to understand why bobcats are currently found only in the northern half of Minnesota and have failed to recolonize the southern habitats. It will use GPS collars to obtain data about the movements of reproductive females and help understand the factors affecting bobcat distributions and ranging behavior. For more information and updates on this project, go to: www.bobcatproject.info. Ron Tilson, Conservation Director at Minnesota Zoo, championed this project in 2008 and 2009.
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