Is a bobcat roaming the Outer Cape? This question appeared in today’s Cape Cod Times. The clue to this animal roaming the woods in Eastham seems to be some unusual scat that was found in the woods. I understand that the Times needs to be tentative and report on facts and “hard” evidence, but rumors and telltale signs of bobcat activity on the Outer Cape have been around for quite some time. Others have found and identified the cat scat, and what about that deer carcass pulled up into a tree last fall?
I believe the bobcat is here, and I don’t need to wait for the scat report. Now, is this a loner, or are we dealing with more than one animal? Lynx rufus is a solitary cat most of the time, only seeking companionship in mating season, which runs somewhere from February to March. I’ve heard of bobcat activity in the Falmouth area, but with no confirmed sightings and details on the sex of the animals, it is by no means certain that we have an established population on Cape Cod. We could be dealing with young males that came from off-cape to expand or establish a hunting range for themselves.
Either way, with Lynx rufus populations stable and expanding we may see the day when this cat does call the Cape home. Who’s next to visit? Black bear? Moose? Cape Cod has been welcoming all kinds of folks from over the bridges, so it only seems natural.
Leave a Reply