Clara Lucas, Lincoln School
Hudson County
Bobcat. Hudson County. Clara Lucas
Bobcat
Hi! I'm Bobby the Bobcat! We are a medium-sized cat, about two feet tall, and we can weigh from 14 pounds to 29 pounds. We are larger than a house cat, but much smaller than a cougar or lion. Our colors are yellowish brown. We can also have stripes or spots. We generally hunt at night and eat rabbits, rats, turkeys, and even small sick deer. We live in North America and we are found in coniferous and mixed forests in the North. We can also be found in swampy areas in Florida and deserts and scrublands in Southwestern United States. Finally, we are mostly found far West in states such as Idaho, Utah, and Nevada. We are very rare in India. Our name comes from our short tail.
I am threatened because we are hunted relentlessly. As forests were cleared for lumber, fuel, and charcoal, and were changed to agriculture use, bobcat habitats became fragmented. Our populations isolated and plummeted. Scattered reports of bobcats like me seen killed on roads throughout the 1950's and 1960's made us listed as endangered in June of 1991.
You can help by not killing us and being careful when driving on roads with some forests because an animal like me could want to cross to the other side. Also, don't hunt our food that we eat. Please save us. My brother is calling me to play tag. BYE!
Written by: Clara Lucas
Lincoln School, Kearny
Teacher: Mrs. Kimberly Kyak