Once nearly extinct in North America, bobcats are making a comeback. These elusive predators are reclaiming their place in nature and playing a role in keeping human communities healthier by helping to reduce zoonotic diseases like Lyme disease.
It starts with what they hunt, as reported by Mongabay News. White-footed mice are one of the most effective carriers of Lyme disease. They pass it to ticks, which then infect humans. By preying on these rodents, bobcats keep both mouse and tick populations in check, and help humans avoid illnesses.
In the early 1900s, bobcats were on the brink of extinction. Today, millions roam across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, even in areas where urban and wild spaces overlap. "I often saw them hunting on the trails I ran [near San Francisco]," said Zara McDonald, founder of the Felidae Conservation Fund, in the Mongabay report. "Their presence was a reminder of the wildness that still exists in our urban spaces."
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It is critical for humans to return the favor by protecting their comeback. Habitat loss, vehicle collisions, and exposure to rodent poison continue to threaten their survival. A northern California study found that 94% of bobcats found dead had been exposed to rodenticides, often through hunting the rodents that ingested it. Safer alternatives to the poison, like snap traps and electric traps, offer effective rodent control without endangering predators or other wildlife.
Similar conservation goals like controlling invasive species, and reintroduction of animals into areas, show that protecting biodiversity protects human health. Protecting bobcats in urban spaces is also creating connected habitats where they can safely move and hunt, such as wildlife corridors that link separated green spaces.
As bobcats make their return to communities, they are a reminder that wildlife conservation benefits us all. By supporting programs that protect species and adopting wildlife-friendly practices, we can ensure these predators continue to thrive for the health of ecosystems and the safety of our neighborhoods.
Readers weighed in on the Mongabay article, with one sharing, "As someone with chronic Lyme disease, I'm all for bobcats limiting ticks' ability to pass on illnesses." Another stressed the need to protect their habitats, saying, "The need for wildlife corridors is large."
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