An academic study on bobcat and lynx distribution in the province needs another boost from rural photographers who have come face to face with the wild cats.
Researcher T.J. Gooliaff put out a first call earlier this year and received about 20 sets of photos from the Sunshine Coast, representing 20 different detections, each with a variety of shots of the same cat.
“All of the detections have been bobcat so far, as expected,” Gooliaff said. “The photos have been taken all across the region, but the majority have been taken between Gibsons and Halfmoon Bay.”
To date, he said, his appeal has brought in more than 3,000 photos from across the province.
“Bobcats have been detected throughout the southern half of the province, typically at low elevations. Lynx have been detected throughout the province, typically at high elevations as expected. However, there have been some surprises – bobcats have been detected much farther north than I expected, even in the Cariboo and Omineca regions.”
Gooliaff, a graduate student at University of BC Okanagan, last week put out his final call for photos of either cat captured by trail cameras or conventional cameras.
“The photos do not have to be great photography – they just have to show a bobcat or a lynx, or even just a part of one,” he said. “Photos can be blurry or dark and don’t even have to clearly show which cat species is present.”
Photos will not be published or shared with anyone without permission, and photographers will retain ownership of their photos, he said, adding that the results of the study will be shared with those who are interested.
Send photos, along with the date and location of each photo, to [email protected]
