The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is asking residents to keep an eye out for special bobcat tracking collars outside.
Authorities said the request is part of a bobcat research project that aims to investigate bobcat habitat use across the state.
Fifty bobcats were trapped and fitted with the collars from November 2018 through March 2019. The collars have a GPS monitoring system so officials can track their movements, DEEP officials said.
The collars do not hurt the animals and DEEP said they are pre-programmed to fall off after being worn for 300 days. The last of the 2018-2019 monitoring collars are expected to fall off within the next month or so.
Once the collar falls off of the bobcat, they continue to transmit a signal before Wildlife Division staff recovers them.
If you find one in your yard or while walking in the woods, you're urged to contact the Wildlife Division at (860) 424-3045 or deep.ctwildlife@ct.gov.
Biologists said they plan to use the collar data to compare the bobcat populations in the state's rural and suburban areas.
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According to officials, DEEP wants to look at how successful bobcats are at reproduction and survival in different environments.
Residents are urged to report any bobcat sightings, especially if they have been marked with yellow ear tags. You can make a report on DEEP's website, on the Connecticut Fish and Wildlife Facebook page, or by emailing deep.ctwildlife@ct.gov.
