(The Center Square) – The bobcat population in Illinois seems to be growing. No one knows for sure, says Jennifer Kuroda, founder of the Illinois Bobcat Foundation. A lifelong resident of Rockford, Kuroda said she’s nev.
Mysterious Large Cat Filmed in Illinois Baffles Residents mysteriousuniverse.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mysteriousuniverse.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
WBGZ Radio 5/12/2021 |
By Andrew Hensel - Illinois Radio Network
Bobcats get a bad rap, said Jennifer Kuroda, president of the Illinois Bobcat Foundation.
Taxidermists pose them to look menacing: teeth bared and poised to attack. In reality, bobcats are small creatures – the average adult weighs 19 pounds. Bobcats are very shy and extremely unlikely to attack humans, Kuroda said.
Forty years ago, the wild bobcat population in Illinois was nearly wiped out. To reestablish the species, the hunting and trapping of bobcats was banned. Over many years, the Illinois bobcat population has recovered. There are now thought to be 5,000 to 6,000 bobcats across the state most of them in southern Illinois, where the Shawnee National Forest is prime habitat for the small cats.
(The Center Square) – Bobcats get a bad rap, said Jennifer Kuroda, president of the Illinois Bobcat Foundation.
Taxidermists pose them to look menacing: Teeth bared and poised to attack. Bobcats are small creatures – the average adult weighs 19 pounds. Bobcats are very shy and extremely unlikely to attack humans, Kuroda said.
Forty years ago, the wild bobcat population in Illinois was nearly wiped out. To reestablish the species, the hunting and trapping of bobcats was banned. Over many years, the Illinois bobcat population has recovered. There are now thought to be 5,000 to 6,000 bobcats across the state–most of them in southern Illinois, where the Shawnee National Forest is prime habitat for the small cats.
0:39
Since 2016, it has been legal to hunt or trap bobcats in Illinois during hunting season (Nov. 10-Feb. 15), even though they were on the threatened species list until 1999. Now some state lawmakers and the Illinois Bobcat Foundation want to protect them from harm.
Bobcat spotted in southwestern Illinois.
Credit Mike and Joann Fricke
Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Ill.) introduced House Bill 1827 in February. It would make it unlawful for any person to hunt or trap bobcats in this state. Jennifer Kuroda is the president of the Illinois Bobcat Foundation. She supports the bill. Legislators don t want to hear about how many signatures you have on one of those [online] petitions, she said. They want to hear from you. They want to hear from their constituents, and they want to know what you think about this.