Following their rehabilitation at a northeast Ohio wildlife center, two bobcats have been released back into the wild in Jackson County within the last week.
The orphaned bobcats were thin and dehydrated when they originally arrived at the center. The female, from Jackson County, had an estimated birth date of June of last year. The male, from Scioto County, was likely born in early spring of 2022.
Bobcats are typically released in their home counties since they are a rabies vector species. Because the wildlife center had already cared for them for more than a year and vaccinated them, staff were comfortable releasing both in Jackson County.
The state’s bobcat population has grown in recent years, with vehicle collisions being their biggest threat. Ohio’s bobcat population is primarily concentrated in southeastern counties, according to the Division of Wildlife.
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