Trail cam catches 5 bobcats roaming together in Ohio. Here’s why the sighting is rare

Bobcats typically roam alone, which makes a trail cam photo captured in Ohio a particularly rare find.

A photo shared by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources shows five bobcats together in a wooded area — an uncommon occurrence for the animals that often roam in solitude. The department says the photo was captured on Christmas Eve in Washington County in the southeastern corner of the state.

Many people commented with photos of their own bobcat sightings throughout Ohio, but often just with one animal.

“I didn’t realize they ran in groups like that. I thought I read they were more solitary,” commented one woman.

And she’s not wrong. As the Ohio Department of Natural Resources says, bobcats are reclusive animals that are “territorial and elusive by nature.” It’s unclear why the five bobcats were roaming together in Washington County.

It’s “very unlikely” to spot a bobcat in the wild, the department says, but verified bobcat sightings have been on a steady rise in Ohio since 2005.

“Bobcat sightings are expected to continue to increase in future years as the population increases in abundance and distribution,” the department says.

Ohio University researchers found in a study published in November that bobcats are expanding throughout the state, particularly in the south and southeastern regions.

“Southeastern Ohio, with its significant forest cover, remains the stronghold for bobcats in Ohio,” researcher Dr. Viorel Popescu said. “In addition to the hundreds of sightings over the past couple decades, there are many signs that lead us to believe that the population continues to expand throughout Ohio.”