On Sunday, April 24th at 3 p.m., after conducting a short business meeting, SKLT will host a presentation about the ongoing study of our local bobcat population. Amy Mayer, head of the University of Rhode Island Wildlife Genetics and Ecology Lab, leads the field work on a five-year project designed to learn about bobcats in Rhode island. SKLT’s Weeden Farm is the location of one of the field traps. Bobcat triplets have been seen at the site.
This collaborative project between the University and the Rhode Island Department of Environment Management began 2014. The main goals of the study are to examine the distribution, relative abundance, home range, movement patterns, and habit use of bobcats in Rhode Island by live-trapping the animals and fitting them with GPS collars. These collars collect the location of the animals every two hours for up to one year, providing researchers the data needed to learn more about their movements on the landscape.
We thank Amy for coming to share information on this exciting work. Their lab is also involved in research on the New England cottontail and American black bear. Come to the Barn on Sunday, April 24th to learn more.
