Dr. Viorel Popescu
The Athens News quoted Dr. Viorel Popescu, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Ohio University, in a story headlined “Bobcat debate still has claws.”
Ohio University’s Viorel Popescu, assistant professor of biological sciences, is currently conducting a significant four-year study (started last year) of the bobcat population in the region with a $245,000 research grant from the ODNR (using non-lethal means).
Popescu said that while two ODNR studies already have been completed on the genetic makeup of Ohio’s bobcats and their diet, his study is meant to look at the difficult question of bobcat population density in Ohio.
“What we’re trying to do is fill out the other missing pieces to get the big picture of what’s happening to bobcats in Ohio,” the professor said.Popescu said he believes that the population of bobcats in Ohio is growing, but that’s based on a few factors found in prior ODNR-funded research. Primarily, there have been increased numbers of “verified sightings” (197 in 2014, up from fewer than 50 in 2006), which are based on road-kill numbers as well as sightings on trail cameras (although that data should be interpreted with caution because trail camera use has been on the rise since 2006). The number of bobcats found as road-kill increased from a little more than 40 in 2010 to about 50 in 2013; last year, Popescu said about 80 were found.
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