Kiawah biologists are thrilled to find the first bobcat den of the season as they try to protect the creatures’ once abundant lives on the island.
They say last week’s discovery of two babies, a boy and a girl, is an encouraging sign that the bobcat population is slowly recovering from the use of rodent pesticides.
Biologists have been catching and collaring bobcats with GPS tags for nearly two decades, as they try to track and monitor their health.
But from 2017 until 2020, they were alarmed to find the number of bobcats had suddenly diminished, dropping from 35 to just 10.
At the time, biologists blamed second-generation anticoagulant (SGAs) rodenticides for at least seven deaths. The poison is often used in bait boxes outside homes and businesses.
In 2020, the town developed the Bobcat Guardian Program. It asks homeowners, businesses, and pest control companies to stop using rodent poisons.
