Officials thrilled as trail camera captures footage of creature once thought extinct: 'More than just exciting'

Bobcat populations in New Jersey are making a strong recovery, according to TAPinto Hillsborough.

Trail cameras on the 2,700-acre Duke Farms nature reserve captured footage of one in an area off limits to the public.

"This rare sighting is more than just exciting; it's a testament to decades of conservation work," said Duke Farms communications manager Lauren Guastella, per TAPinto Hillsborough. "Through habitat restoration, reforestation, and regenerative land management, we've created a thriving ecosystem where native wildlife can return and flourish."

The bobcat's natural habitat has been eroded since the state's settlement, and by the early 1970s, the species was considered locally extinct. New Jersey Fish and Wildlife started recovery efforts between 1978 and 1982, reintroducing 24 bobcats in the north. As of 1991, however, the bobcat was listed as endangered in New Jersey.

Programs such as Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey have since built and protected wildlife corridors, which can support a thriving ecosystem along natural migration routes. This has apparently provided enough prey species for bobcats to survive in the wild.

Bobcat populations elsewhere in the United States are quite healthy. The creatures have been spotted sniffing around homes in Massachusetts and hunting in Yosemite National Park. One even found its way into a Louisiana school gym.

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Bobcats are naturally elusive, making tracking their populations challenging. Trail cameras can help researchers gather enough data to tell if rehabilitation programs are successful and can support justification for continued protections. Trail cameras have been helpful in tracking otters, leopards, and miniature deer, too.

Locals were excited about the sighting at Duke Farms and for the prospects of bobcats in New Jersey.

"This is great news, they are generally very elusive," one person said. "Lots of Bobcats in Sussex County too! They are great for keeping large rodents in check."

"They are so hard to spot!! Very exciting to have them in this part of Somerset County! A good habitat makes all the difference," another wrote.