So here is a weird question, as you get older are you realizing that there may have been another career choice you would have made if someone had told you about it when you were a kid? Don't get me wrong I love all the different jobs I have had in my life but there are a few I would have liked to have tried.

They say it is never too late but I am going to go out on a limb and say that my days as a wild animal wrangler have probably passed me by. It doesn't stop me though from being fascinated by all the wildlife we have in the Hudson Valley and watching the people trained to interact with them.

Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, New York is Tracking Bobcats

Such is the case for a recent post I saw from the Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, New York, Growing up in Cornwall on the mountain I was aware we had a variety of wildlife but I never realized just how much until I grew up.

As a kid, my class often went to the Museum of the Hudson Highlands now known as the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum to learn about local forest animals but back then it was always the cute ones and a wise old owl, now you can learn about so much including bear and even Bobcats.

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That brings me to what I wanted to share with you that I saw on the Black Rock Forest's Facebook page last week. They posted the video that I have shared below of a bobcat being released back into the Black Rock forest but not before it had been tagged.

See Also: Bear Rescues are now up to 5 this Winter

Let me back up. The Black Rock Forest is now tagging bobcats in order to track them to get a better idea about their habits in the woods that make up Black Rock Forest and it surrounding area. It is all about Wildlife Connectivity. If we can track where the bobcats go we can learn more about them in their own environment.

PC: Black Rock Forest via Facebook
PC: Black Rock Forest via Facebook
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Dr. Scott LaPoint is working on this project which you can read about on the Black Rock Forest website or by clicking here. I reached out to Dr. LaPoint who was kind enough to get back to me. He told me he had originally set out to trace Fishers but end up with Bobcats instead.

After 5 years of searching to find fishers are extremely rare here, I've turned most of my attention to bobcats. (Dr Scott LaPoint)
He also shared that they have branched out.
We have also added 3 more data types, in addition to our behavior data (i.e., GOS tracking) and distribution data (i.e., camera trap detections): carnivore gene flow via fecal DNA, road mortality of mammals via semi-weekly roadkill surveys, and assessments of mammal use of under-road passages, like culverts, pipes, and bridges. (Dr Scott LaPoint)
I plan to keep an eye on Dr. LaPoint's work and have a deeper discussion with him and I will share that in an upcoming article. For now, I thought you might find this video release footage pretty cool. I don't think I could get that close to a cat that big.

Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, New York Releases Tagged Bobcat

 

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