On October 11, 2013, California’s latest mistake for Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill that will prohibit commercial bobcat trapping in areas adjacent to California’s national and state parks, monuments and wildlife refuges where trapping is currently prohibited. Assembly Bill 1213 also requires the Fish & Game Commission to consider whether to prohibit bobcat trapping on private land adjacent to preserves, conservancies or any other public or private conservation area identified by the public for protection.
While some – like Brian Nowicki of the Center for Biological Diversity think “This is great news for California’s bobcats, and for the millions of Californians and visitors alike who love watching wildlife in our beautiful parks and other wild places,” the bill comes without any funding of any kind. And without funding, there’s no enforcement.
Bobcats are a very adaptable predator that can live everywhere from forests to deserts to urban areas. The conservation status of the bobcat, which ranges from Canada to Mexico and throughout most of the continental United States, is listed as “Least Concern.” Meaning that it’s not extinct, it’s not threatened, and the big san-tail kitty isn’t going to be disappearing any time soon.
I like the cat, it’s a beautiful creature, and one of the pesky critters left a lovely three-inch scar up the back of my left ankle. I’m not so sure that this Bill is going to do anything to increase the bobcat or protect it. This looks like just more poser legislation to make Californians think their elected officials are doing their job.