The research team behind a UBC Okanagan study into the bobcat and lynx populations across the province is seeking the public's help.
The study, done in partnership with the BC Ministry of Environment, is seeking photos of bobcats and lynx captured by trail cameras, or conventional cameras, from all corners of the province and from all time periods to help determine the current provincial distribution of each species.
The premise of the study is that bobcats are moving northwards and into higher elevations.
The photos do not have to be great photography—they just have to show a bobcat or a lynx, or even just a part of one.
The photos can be blurry or dark and don't even have to clearly show which cat species is present.
When sending photos, please include both the date and location of each photo. Location should be as specific as possible: Most preferred is UTM or LAT/LONG coordinates. If that information is not available, then please provide the name of the nearest road or landmark (including distance and direction from road or landmark), or nearest town (including distance and direction from town), or watershed or wildlife management unit.
Photos will be used for data only (which species was where when) and will not influence management decisions regarding hunting/trapping bag limits or season dates.
Photos will not be published or shared with anyone without permission, and photographers will retain ownership of their photos. Feel free to email any questions or comments that you may have about this project to the address below. The results of this study will be gladly shared with all those who are interested.
Please send photos, along with the date and location of each photo, to TJ Gooliaff at tj.gooliaff@ubc.ca