WHY DID THE BOBCAT CROSS THE ROAD? URBAN BOBCAT BEHAVIOR AND ROADKILL MITIGATION STRATEGIES

Margaret Mercer; University of Arizona; mmercer3@arizona.edu; Cheryl Mollohan, Kerry Baldwin, Al LeCount, Jesse Alston

Bobcats (Lynx rufus) have had success persisting in urban areas, but vehicle collisions are a large source of mortality. Identifying how bobcats alter behavior near roads can help wildlife managers develop management strategies to reduce mortality from vehicles. To determine how roads affect bobcat movement, we analyzed GPS data from bobcats collared by the Bobcats in Tucson Research Project using continuous-time movement analyses. Our study focused on three questions regarding bobcat movement near roads: 1. Do bobcats avoid crossing roads? 2. Do bobcats use culverts and underpasses to cross roads? 3. Does bobcat behavior change when road density increases? We found that bobcats crossed roads 11% less frequently than expected from random chance, but we found no evidence that bobcats use culverts or underpasses to cross roads or that bobcat movement behavior (i.e., speed or home range size) varies with road density. Our results suggest that managers interested in reducing bobcat mortality from vehicle collisions need to do more than simply providing crossing structures. Fences to funnel bobcats toward crossing structures, rumble strips to scare bobcats from roads, reduced speed limits, and wildlife warning signs for drivers may be effective tools to reduce bobcat mortality from vehicle collisions.

Transportation Projects and Wildlife Interactions I   Student Paper