how after capturing and microchipping the bobcats , they used radio collars and tracked them with antennas . With the advent of GPS collars used today , not only is such tracking easier and more efficient , but it also provides significantly more data . Using radio collars was labor intensive , requiring many hours of triangulating and plotting data . Much time was spent creeping under villas and searching through scrubshrub and marsh thicket for bobcats . Shane was surprised to learn that in the spring of 2016 , Island officials recovered a 13-year-old deceased bobcat that he had captured and tagged ! Thirteen is an unusually old age , definitely a senior citizen for bobcats .
Shane said they learned a wealth of information as a result
of bobcat research :
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Bobcats are the primary reason the deer population is stable on Kiawah .
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On Kiawah , each bobcat needs three to five acres of contiguous habitat for denning , a much smaller range than most bobcats who live off Island .
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Native , undeveloped habitat areas facilitate bobcat survival .
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Marsh edge , shrub-scrub , and even backyard understory are important for bobcats .
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There were always bobcat dens on Captain Sams Spit and near the undeveloped Ocean Course . The undeveloped portions and marsh edges around Mingo Point also offered valuable habitat .
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During the day , bobcats often spend time in undeveloped woodlots .
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At night , bobcats are on the prowl , exploring their range and hunting for food , often walking in a big rectangular path .
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Although the bobcats ’ favorite food is rabbit , they eat the cotton rats that are abundant on Kiawah and deer fawns . In fact , bobcats are responsible for about 55 percent of Kiawah ’ s fawn mortalities .
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Although most bobcats live two to four years in the wild , Kiawah bobcats often live six to seven years .
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Most of the Island ’ s bobcat fatalities are due to car accidents .
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Bobcats are territorial and generally stay in their own range . Discover more about bobcat tracking including a map of their travels at www . wildlifeatkiawah . com / 2016bobcats . html .
far as bobcats go , and would often sit and watch Shane and others as they were loading items into and out of their trucks . Sometimes he even came up on the porch and peeked in the windows . One day Shane was called to the old Kiawah Inn where 933 was dining on koi from the Inn ’ s koi pond . Dozens of people were standing around watching 933 enjoy his feast and then meander back out to the scrubby brush . 933 was not afraid of an audience . After 933 was killed in a car accident in 2005 , he was mounted and placed in Town Hall , a fitting home for the infamous king of the western end of the Island .
Shane completed his PhD and then taught at UGA before returning to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game . He continues to enjoy designing and conducting research projects . When asked what advice he might have for the residents of Kiawah , he stressed how important it was to save understory and native habitat for our wildlife . Presently everything is in balance . Bobcats are controlling the deer and the rodents . Bobcats serve as an umbrella species . As long as they remain healthy , other wildlife should stay in balance . Once this balance is disrupted , it is extremely difficult to reestablish it .
Other nearby islands have resorted to culling their deer as the population grows too large . With careful planning and preservation of essential habitats , nature is handling this task on Kiawah . When property owners keep part of their land in a native state , it allows bobcat and other wildlife shelter , food , and a path to travel . The Conservancy will continue to seek properties that offer optimal habitat . Shane said that one day he and his family would like to visit Kiawah . We hope that when he does , he will still recognize the iconic wildlife that he left behind and helped preserve . NK
During our interview , Shane reminisced about Kiawah Island , recalling that he had a favorite bobcat , Bobcat 933 , an adult male . Although most bobcats venture out to hunt during the dark of night , 933 was often spotted near the parking lot around Town Hall in the heart of his territory at the western end of the Island . 933 was unusually social as
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