DNR Officials Confirm Iowa’s Bobcat Population is On The Rise

You're bound to see a variety of different wildlife living in Iowa. Bears have made their way back into the state, and we even get the occasional mountain lion sighting, too. But another, smaller cat, continues to make a comeback in Iowa. The bobcat.

Is The Bobcat Population in Iowa Growing?

Vince Evelsizer, a biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette that different furbearer populations in the state have been on the rise. Iowa's bobcat population has been on the rise by about 7 percent each year since 2007. Evelsizer says that the bobcat in Iowa is a "wildlife success story."

Bobcats Almost Disappeared in Iowa

The Gazette reports that the bobcat's comeback in Iowa can be traced back to 1977. That is the year that the animal was listed as an endangered species. Habitat loss across the state caused bobcat numbers to plummet. By 2001, the population began to come back, and bobcats were listed as a protected species. The Gazette reports that by 2007, bobcat numbers were high enough that a limited bobcat hunting season was introduced.

What Other Animal Populations Are Growing in Iowa?

Evelsizer told the Gazette that there has also been a slight rise in the urban coyote population in the past 5 to 10 years. The coyote population overall in Iowa is steady, with some areas seeing a slight increase.

Bears have also been seen more frequently in the state, with 3 or 4 found living in the northeast part of the state this May. Evelsizer told the Gazette that bears have yet to reproduce in Iowa, but we could "pretty soon."