Will County Sees Second Bobcat Spotting In Past 6 Months

WILL COUNTY, IL— Will County logged its second bobcat spotting in the past six months. This time, a lone bobcat was caught on a motion-triggered game camera, sauntering down a trail.

The photos were taken at the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Sand Ridge Savanna Nature Preserve near Wilmington. Game cameras aren't there specifically to track bobcats, but it is a rare surprise since the creatures are so elusive, according to the forest preserve's wildlife biologist Becky Blankenship.

A mother bobcat and her kittens were last photographed in the Kankakee Sands Preserve in late September. While both preserves are located in Custer Township, Blankenship says there's no guarantee the photos are of the same bobcat.

"Bobcats can have a wide variety of home range sizes," said Blankenship. "Logically, if last year's photos showed a mother with two kittens, there is a male out there somewhere too."

The increased sightings might reflect a recent increase in the bobcat population. According to a 2010 study in the Journal and Fish and Wildlife Management, Illinois' bobcat count was estimated to be around 2,252 and increasing.

In addition to Sand Ridge Savanna and Kankakee Sands, bobcats have also been spotted at Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve in Reed Township, Evans-Judge Preserve in Custer Township and Sugar Creek Preserve in Joliet.

Experts predict the increase is due to more land availability or increasing prey— they eat mice, rats, squirrels, chickens, small fawns, wild birds, feral cats and rabbits. While more bobcat sightings tend to scare pet owners, Blankenship is eager to learn more about the forest preserve's newest passer-through.

"I’d love to get more photos to help piece this wildlife story together," she said.

For more information on the game cameras and bobcats in the Forest Preserve District, visit bit.ly/willcobobcats.