Central Ohio nature lovers just got an early holiday gift: a confirmed bobcat sighting at Prairie Oaks Metro Park.
Metro Parks shared the short trail-camera clip in early December, capturing the elusive wild cat trotting across a path before disappearing into the brush. Although the timestamp on the video is incorrect, the sighting actually took place just after sunrise on November 21.
Bobcats are native to Ohio, but spotting one in central Ohio is still a rare event.
Once extirpated from the state by the mid-1800s, bobcats began making their comeback in the mid-1900s, with sightings slowly increasing in the early 2000s. Today, established populations are most common in eastern and southern Ohio. Encounters in central counties—especially documented ones—signal that the species may be continuing to expand into new, suitable habitat.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, bobcats are typically nocturnal or crepuscular, meaning they’re most active at dawn or dusk. They’re also solitary animals with large home ranges, making them even harder to spot. Adults can weigh anywhere from 9 to 40 pounds, with short “bobbed” tails, tufted ears, and fur that ranges from grayish-brown to reddish with dark spotting.
Metro Parks said the Prairie Oaks sighting is a reminder of the growing biodiversity within the region’s park system.
The mix of wetlands, dense vegetation, and open meadows at Prairie Oaks provides the kind of cover and prey availability bobcats rely on. And while it’s unlikely you’ll encounter one during your next hike, the video shows they’re out there—quietly reclaiming habitat that was once their own.
Wildlife sightings like this can be reported directly to the ODNR online wildlife reporting system, where they help biologists track the bobcat’s continued recovery across the state.
