“The forest preserves there are so well connected that it is not surprising that bobcats are moving through there, or even denning.”
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 never seen one when she has been out hiking. Bobcats don’t want to be around people, she said.
“Bobcats are very reclusive. It is easy to walk right by one. They are very reluctant to reveal themselves,” Kuroda said.
Kuroda blames the media for making people afraid of bobcats.
“On the news, they escalate the dangers of bobcats. A hundred percent of the attacks are from bobcats that have rabies,” Kuroda said. “A fox or a raccoon or any rabid animal is going to come after you.”
Bobcats won’t hurt children or pets. They might eat a backyard chicken, but they prefer voles and other rodents.
“Bobcats are excellent for natural rodent control,” she said. “Bobcats are not very big. The biggest ones are twice the size of a housecat”
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