Chat sauvage

World demand for Bobcat fur rose gradually in the late 1960s and early 1970s and jumped in the mid-1970s after CITES entered into force, when the pelts of cats listed on Appendix I became legally unobtainable for the commercial fur trade (Nowell and Jackson 1996). Of particular and concern is the recent increase in Bobcat pelt prices from $85 in 2000, to record highs of $589 in 2013,  $447 in 2014, and $305 in 2015, driven by high demand for fur in China, Europe, and Russia (Knudson 2016). The number of Bobcat pelts exported from the U.S. has quadrupled in recent years, climbing to a high of 65,000 in 2013 when pelt prices were highest.

The US government has found that trade is not detrimental to Bobcat survival and is well-managed by state authorities. They have petitioned CITES numerous times, most recently in 2007, to remove the Bobcat from the CITES Appendices, arguing that the Bobcat does not meet the biological criteria for CITES listing and that their research indicates that importing governments should be able to reliably distinguish Bobcat skins from other species to prevent illegal trade (Govt of US 2007). However, the proposal was rejected by majority vote of the Parties to CITES (Nowell et al. 2007).

Habitat loss is viewed as another primary threat to bobcats in all three range countries. Increasing urbanization results in direct habitat loss when human density is high, although Bobcats have proven to be fairly adaptive to urbanization (Ordenana et al. 2010, Tracey et al. 2013 ) and low density developments (one house per two acres), particularly in areas with landscaped green spaces and golf courses, and Bobcats have been documented denning and raising litters in human structures (Riley et al. 2010). However, as Bobcats adjust to human developed landscapes, indirect effects increase. Vehicle collisions can be a primary source of mortality in urban Bobcat populations (Riley et al. 2006) and in populations with a high proportion of transients (Blankenship et al. 2006). In addition, exposure to common rodenticides in urban landscapes can result in direct mortality (anticoagulant toxicosis) and increased susceptibility to severe notoedric mange resulting in the death of Bobcats (Riley 1999, Riley et al. 2003, Riley et al. 2006,  Riley et al. 2007, Ruell et al. 2009, Serieys et al. 2013). Increases in urbanization and roads have also resulted in recent genetic isolation of Bobcats populations in several areas, indicating human developments are affecting historic dispersal patterns and gene flow, resulting in local and regional population structure (Riley et al. 2003, Croteau et al. 2012, Ruell et al. 2012, but see Millions and Swanson 2007).  

There is concern in the northeastern US about interspecific competition with expanding coyote populations (Moruzzi et al. 2002, Litvaitis and Harrison 1989, Litvaitis et al. 2006). However, in Florida, where Coyotes have also increased, Thornton et al. (2004) found that Bobcats and Coyotes favoured different prey species, with coyotes taking larger ungulates and Bobcats rodents and smaller mammals, and Coyotes and Bobcats coexist throughout most of the western portions of their ranges, likely through niche shifts in diet and activity (Fedriani et al. 2000). Bobcats coexist with Ocelots in Texas (Horne et al. 2009) and Canada Lynx in zones of sympatry (Peers et al. 2013) through habitat partitioning. Aside from exploitative competition, there is evidence of interference competition through intraspecific killing by Mountain Lions (Haas 2009) and hybridization has been detected with few federally threatened Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis) in Maine, Minnesota, and New Brunswick (Homyack et al. 2008). In addition, increased or novel sources of depredation in have been documented in several areas.  Bobcat observations in southern Florida have decreased dramatically as invasive python densities have increased (Dorcas et al. 2012). In Ventura County, California, Coyotes were found to be the leading source of Bobcat kitten mortality (Moriarty 2007), although this increase in predation pressure is likely a result of reduced avoidance options in highly fragmented urban habitat (Riley et al. 2003). Interactions with domestic dogs may also present threats to the Bobcat population. Canine distemper and canine distemper-associated encephalitis has been documented in Bobcats in eastern Canada (Daoust et al. 2009) validating the proposed role of dogs as a pathogen-mediated apparent competitor with Bobcats (Vanek and Gompper 2009), and several studies demonstrate negative correlation between domestic dog activity and Bobcat activity (George and Crooks 2006, Reed and Merenlender 2011).  

In localized areas Bobcats take domestic livestock and are persecuted as pests (Sunquist and Sunquist 2002). In addition, there have been recent concerns about the effects of harvest on local Bobcat populations in West Virginia (WV-DNR), and Michigan (Preuss and Gehring 2007) and poaching may result in higher harvest rates than anticipated in some areas (Millions and Swanson 2006), which can result in population declines as it has in New Hampshire (Litviatus et al. 2006). However, there is evidence from a survey of state game management agencies that Bobcat populations are stable or increasing, with densities greater than initially estimated, in all US states with the exception of Florida (Roberts and Crimmins 2010).

Included on CITES Appendix II. The Mexican subspecies Lynx rufus escuinapae was listed on CITES Appendix I until 1992, when it was downlisted to Appendix II on the grounds that it is not a valid taxon (Govt of US 2007). Bobcats are legally harvested for the fur trade in 38 US states, and in seven Canadian provinces. In Mexico, the Bobcat is legally hunted in small numbers as a trophy animal (Govt of US 2007). There appears to be little illegal international trade (Govt of US 2007), although within the US, Millions and Swanson (2006) used molecular forensics techniques to determine that skins reported as originating from an area with a higher bag limit were probably illegally taken from an area with a lower limit.

Bobcat status in the mid-western United States has improved since their extirpation in the early 1900s. In Iowa, Bobcats were downgraded to threatened in 2001 and are now harvested in many counties. In Illinois, Bobcats were removed from the states’ list of  threatened in 1999 and they are now found in nearly all counties. Indiana has sightings in much of the state and Bobcats were downgraded to special concern in 2005. In Ohio, the Bobcat is still classified as an endangered species and provided full protection.

Reintroduction of Bobcats to Cumberland Island, Georgia was highly successful (Diefebach et al. 2013) suggesting Bobcats can do well when protected. In addition, Kapfer and Potts (2012) found Bobcat harvest in Minnesota could be predicted by season length and suggest population densities can be manipulated by change in length of hunting season.