Kiawah’ s Bobcats: Morning, Noon, and Night
By Justin Core, Kiawah Conservancy Land Preservation Coordinator, and Jim“ Bobcat” Jordan, Town of Kiawah Island Biologist
Town of Kiawah Island Wildlife biologists estimate that there are about 35 bobcats that live with us here on the Island. These stealthy predators are among the most exciting animals to catch a glimpse of on Kiawah. Most sightings or photographs of our bobcats are accompanied by colorful stories, told by thrilled residents or guests. Over the last 20 years, the Town and Conservancy have developed a clearer understanding of bobcats’ movements, behaviors, and ecological roles on the Island. Most of this knowledge is due to the advent and continued use of GPS technology, which has allowed us to track 69 bobcats since 2007.
One of the first bobcats to be fitted with a GPS collar was“ Bobcat 118” in the pilot year of the GPS project back in 2007. During this first year of the project, collars were programmed to collect location data every 10 minutes, which provided a valuable opportunity to view the precise movements of a bobcat throughout the day and night. The map on the opposite page shows the journey of Bobcat 118, an adult female, during a single 24-hour period. The data provides some unique insights into the behavior, progress, and perhaps thoughts, of a Kiawah Island bobcat, as described in Bobcat 118’ s GPS travelogue.
16 Photo by Jamie Cathcart