Bring Back The Bobcat?

Last week I received an e-mail from a colleague, Mindy Block, who pointed out that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation had just released its draft “Bobcat Management Plan,” and was seeking public comment on it. Mindy attached the document and wrote, “There was always talk of having them reintroduced onto Long Island. Does this make any sense to you? Is the idea worth pursuing for Long Island? Like the wild turkey reintroductions?”

That’s an interesting question. On the one hand, wildlife reintroductions can provide opportunities to restore a region’s ecological diversity. It can also help restore the ecological integrity and balance in regions such as Long Island where, it can be argued, there is a dearth of medium-to-large-sized predators. Anyone familiar with the ecological impacts of our predator-free... more