Bobcats provide health benefits for ecosystems and humans, but are largely misunderstood

The bobcat population has rebounded over the past century, making it North America’s most common wildcat: as of 2011, there were an estimated 3.5 million bobcats in the United States alone, a significant increase from the late 1990s.

These intelligent felids, Lynx rufus, have benefited from conservation efforts that have increased their natural habitat. The species also thrives at the edges of towns and cities, where their presence can even reduce the spread of pathogens like Lyme disease that affect people, says podcast guest Zara McDonald, founder of the Felidae Conservation Fund.

McDonald shares her thoughts on how the bobcat manages to thrive on the edge of urban areas, the state of wildcat conservation, and what she wishes more people knew about wildcats.

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Image: A bobcat in Kalispell, Montana. Image by Outward_bound via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

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Timecodes 

(00:00) Intro

(02:58) The resilience of bobcats

(08:13) The benefits of bobcats

(16:19) The Felidae Conservation Fund

(25:30) The state of wildcat conservation

(30:47) Wildfires and their impact on wildcats

(33:47) Thoughts on coexistence with wildlife