Bobcats Return, Reducing Zoonotic Disease Risks

Bobcats have made a significant recovery across North America, playing a crucial role in controlling zoonotic diseases by preying on rodents that are efficient disease vectors. Despite facing threats from habitat loss, road traffic, and rodent poisons, bobcats help reduce the spread of diseases like Lyme by being poor disease hosts themselves. While hunting is legal in most U.S. states, California's potential reinstatement of bobcat hunting in 2025 raises concerns about the ecological impact and the importance of these wildcats in maintaining ecosystem health.