Micke Grove Zoo

SJGOV.org - How can we serve you today?

Visit S.J. County Parks & Recreation Website

Bobcat
Lynx rufus

  • Habitat: Forests, coastal swamps, deserts and scrubland
  • Range: Across North America (Canada, Mexico and the U.S.A)
  • Natural Diet: Small mammals, birds, fish and insects.
  • Status in the Wild: Common

 

Fun Facts

  • Bobcats have a muscular build with longer hind legs than front legs, which helps them pounce on their prey that as far as 10 feet away from them
  • Their muscular build also supports them to run up to 30 miles per hour when chasing prey
  • They are habitat generalists living and surviving in diverse habitats
  • Their name originated from their unique feature of having bobbed tails
  • They have an advanced sense of sight, hearing, and the sense of smell
  • They are excellent tree climbers and are able to effortlessly climb  trees
  • They are solitary by nature pairing briefly for breeding

Bobcats inhabit diverse habitats such as the Sonoran Desert (image above) and Yosemite National Park (image below)

 

Conservation Threats

The major threats are:

  • Habitat loss, some agricultural practices, and livestock farming and production.
  • Illegal hunting and trapping also has a detrimental influence on wild numbers

 

 

The male bobcat housed at Micke Grove Zoo uses recycled cardboard boxes as enrichment

Enrichment is administered regularly to motivate animal residents to display natural behavior

Wooden platforms were attached that the bobcat climbs often to sit on and survey his surroundings

Bridges of firehose and wood are administered in animal enclosures that are very popular with animal residents. The bobcat has often been observed using his.

 

Map Distributional range
Bobcats are found throughout North America