Madison, WI – Wisconsin residents wondering where bobcats roam across the state can now explore sightings through an interactive wildlife dashboard using images collected by a statewide network of trail cameras.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Snapshot Wisconsin’s Data Dashboard allows users to explore wildlife information gathered through volunteer-managed trail cameras. The tool includes maps showing counties where bobcats and 22 other wildlife species have been detected.
The DNR highlighted the project Saturday while sharing a nighttime trail-camera image of a bobcat kitten photographed in Marathon County in central Wisconsin.
Bobcats are primarily nocturnal, making encounters with people less common despite the animals living across Wisconsin. The species is also found throughout much of North America and can survive in several types of habitat.
The wild cats are carnivores, with a diet that includes rodents, rabbits, ground birds and deer, according to the DNR. Bobcats may also occasionally eat reptiles.
Beyond showing where animals have appeared, the Snapshot Wisconsin dashboard provides information about when different species are most active. That gives residents a way to examine wildlife patterns without having to encounter the animals themselves.
Snapshot Wisconsin relies on a network of trail cameras managed by volunteers across the state. Images collected through the program provide data that can help researchers and the public better understand the distribution and activity of Wisconsin wildlife.
Residents interested in bobcats can use the Snapshot Wisconsin Data Dashboard to compare sightings across counties and explore activity patterns. The same resource can also be used to examine data for 22 other species documented by the camera network.
