Wanted: bobcat and lynx photos.
They don’t have to be great photography. They can be blurry and dark and don’t even have to clearly identify which cat species is present – they just have to show a bobcat or lynx, or even part of one.
The photos are for a bobcat/lynx MSc study currently underway at the University of B.C. Okanagan, in partnership with the provincial Ministry of Environment.
“We are seeking photos of bobcats and lynx captured by trail cameras, or conventional cameras, from all corners of the province and from all time periods to help determine the current provincial distribution of each species,” said T.J. Gooliaff, with the project. “We think that bobcats are moving northwards and into higher elevations.”
Historically, bobcats and lynx have been typically separated by snow depth.
“However, climate change has led to earlier springs and lower snow levels in western North America,” said Gooliaff.
“As a result, suitable bobcat habitat may now be present in new areas of B.C. I am using photos of bobcats and lynx submitted by the public to help map the current provincial distribution of both species to determine if their ranges have shifted in response to climate change. I hypothesize that bobcats have moved northwards and into higher elevations.”
When sending photos, include both the date and location of each photo. Location should be as specific as possible: most preferred is UTM or latitude/longitude co-ordinates. If that information is not available, then provide the name of the nearest road or landmark (including distance and direction from road or landmark), or nearest town (including distance and direction from town), or watershed or management unit.
Photos will be used for data only (which species was where, when) and will not influence management decisions regarding hunting/trapping bag limits or season dates. Photos will not be published or shared with anyone without permission, and photographers will retain ownership of their photos.
E-mail questions or comments to Gooliaff at tj.gooliaff@ubc.ca. This is also where photos, along with date and location, can be sent to.
The results of this study will be shared with all of those who are interested.