RESILIENCE Bobcats are small, strong, and athletic, typically weighing fourteen to twenty pounds in the Southeast. They hunt rabbits, rats, fish, waterbirds, and even young alligators, making full use of Kiawah’ s dense shrub-thicket habitat! Their persistence is encouraging. But their predators, competitors, and ecological counterparts tell a story that requires attention and action.
Kiawah’ s bobcats are still here. Their recovery from SGAR-linked mortality remains one of the island’ s most inspiring conservation achievements. But rising exposure levels remind us that success is never static. The island’ s next chapter depends not on a single moment of mobilization, but on a sustained culture of care and a willingness to choose stewardship over convenience.
Camera trap images courtesy of Jim Jordan, Town of Kiawah Island
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