"With Populations Thriving, Are Bobcats The Next Urban Pest?"

"CONCORD, N.H. — As someone who has studied bobcats for almost four decades, wildlife ecologist John Litvaitis remembers many times returning from the field without spotting a single one of these solitary and shy creatures that often hunt at dusk.

But bobcats are less elusive now as their numbers rise and they become more comfortable around humans. Joining the likes of foxes, coyotes and even mountain lions in rare cases, bobcats are making a home in small towns and suburbs — and realizing there is plenty to eat in the cities.

They have turned up in recent years in such places as Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city; Waverly, Iowa; and even outside Los Angeles. They have been spotted below backyard bird feeders, waltzing along streets in search of their next meal and, increasingly, as roadkill on highways."

Michael Casey reports for the Associated Press May 22, 2017.