2nd Annual Save Kiawah Bobcats Week
Next week (October 10 -16, 2021) is the 2nd annual Save Kiawah Bobcats Week! In 2020, Town Council passed environmental Resolution 2020-04, strongly discouraging the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGA) to protect Kiawah's wildlife and ecosystem, and adopted Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as the best pest management practice for the island. They also requested that residents, businesses, and pest control companies take the Bobcat Guardian pledge at www.savekiawahbobcats.com
Bobcat Guardian Program
Our Bobcat Guardian program is turning one! We're thrilled to honor our residents, businesses, and pest control providers' that pounced on this issue! All resident participants are listed on www.savekiawahbobcats.com alongside business partners and pest management providers who have committed to eliminating the use of SGAs on Kiawah. However, we still have a long way to go to create an ecosystem where our bobcat's population recovery is possible.
Bobcats Sightings - We want to see them!
To promote Save Kiawah Bobcats week, follow us on our social channels, where we will be showing off some rare footage and pictures of Kiawah bobcats. Do you have bobcat pictures you want to share? If so, send them to us through our social channels or email them to sbraswell@kiawahisland.org. Don't forget to tell us whom to credit and the sighting location.
Bobcats are Kiawah's top predator and play a vital role in the Kiawah Island ecosystem by helping to control the island's deer and rodent populations.

Kiawah's world-renowned bobcat population was historically one of the country's healthiest, densest bobcat populations.

Since 2007, the Town has tracked bobcats annually using GPS collars, and this program is the longest continuous study on bobcats in the world. Biologists use this data for population monitoring, determining habitat use, movement patterns, and reproductive success. Kiawah's Bobcat Management Guidelines provide recommendations to all island entities on preserving and improving habitat to benefit bobcats.

In 2017, Town Biologists started seeing an increase in bobcat deaths on the island and a subsequent decrease in bobcat numbers but were unsure of the cause. 

In 2020, the Town determined that at least seven bobcat deaths had been caused directly by second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGA) poisoning. Kiawah's bobcat population was historically estimated at 30-35; however, biologists grimly estimated that we had less than ten bobcats remaining on the island. 

Since the Towns' discovery, the community has come together to take the pledge and raise awareness on this critical issue.

Since 2020, Town biologists have been collecting and testing bobcats, raccoons, opossums, and bird of prey carcasses for the presence of SGAs. Biologists added alligators to this testing protocol in 2021. Sixty-seven animals have been tested to date (70% overall exposure rate). Residents are encouraged to report all animals found sick or dead to Town Hall (843-768-9166, M-F, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. or 843-259-2137 at any other time) to help with this important testing effort.
Some Pawsitive News! Biologists report that Kiawah's bobcat population appears to be rebounding in response to the decreased presence of SGAs this year, due primarily to the community-wide effort of the Bobcat Guardian Program.

Biologists will have a better assessment after trapping efforts this winter, but they currently estimate that approximately 20 bobcats are living on the island.

Positive trends include:
  • The annual survival rate of collared bobcats this year is 83%, compared to 33% in 2019 and 25% in 2020.  
  • Two collared adult females successfully produced kittens this spring, compared to zero in 2020 and one in 2019.  
  • Bobcat sightings, especially females with kittens, have increased substantially this year.
  • Anticoagulant levels in tested animals are showing a decline.

Track our collared bobcats on the move through the map below
The Town cannot regulate or prohibit the use of SGAs. South Carolina law broadly prohibits municipalities from enacting local regulations to control pesticide use. With letters of support from the Kiawah Conservancy and the Kiawah Island Community Association, the Town petitioned the SC Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for a one-year temporary ban on the use of these chemicals on Kiawah, which was denied. The Town constructed an aggressive public education campaign and established the Bobcat Guardian Program. The Town has been working closely with the DPR to increase awareness and reduce improper and illegal use of SGA's.
We know that dealing with rodents can be frustrating, but seeing a rodent in your yard is not a rodent problem or infestation. This is a big misconception. Rodents are a vital part of the ecosystem and provide critical food for bobcats, birds of prey, and other wildlife. The best way to address or prevent rodent issues while also being mindful of the environment is to only take action if a problem exists and use integrated pest management. Informational flyer provided here.
Tell your pest control provider not to use second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAs) on your property. If you do your own pest control, check the active ingredient on the label to make sure you are not using any of the active ingredients listed below. More
While Kiawah still has plenty of excellent bobcat habitat, it has less than it did ten years ago. This means that bobcats have to travel further and expand their home range size to meet their needs. Because bobcats are territorial, larger home range sizes mean fewer bobcats on the island. Also, increased travel by bobcats makes them more susceptible to vehicle collisions and other mortality events.

Residents can help replace lost habitat by exchanging or adding native landscaping to their property that promotes bobcat habitat and let buffer areas grow back naturally. Find more information on the Town's Grow Native initiative at www.grownativekiawah.com.
The Town of Kiawah Island is excited to begin a new research project this winter, collaborating with Clemson University’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department and Town Biologists. This Ph.D. research project will take place over four years and will include three years of intensive fieldwork. The project’s overall goal is to better understand the health and future viability of Kiawah’s bobcats and other wildlife, quantify the impacts from rodenticides, and develop long-term solutions. The project has six primary objectives as listed below:
  1. Monitor second-generation anticoagulant (SGA) rodenticide concentrations in bobcats and patterns in bobcat behavior and survival over the next three years on Kiawah.
  2. Assess historical patterns in bobcat behavior and demography on Kiawah Island over time using existing data.
  3. Assess patterns in bobcat diet.
  4. Continue monitoring SGA concentrations in small carnivores other than bobcats over the next three years on Kiawah Island.
  5. Quantify rodent species distribution/density and SGA concentrations on Kiawah Island.
  6. Provide recommendations to maintain a healthy, stable bobcat population on Kiawah Island in perpetuity.
The total anticipated cost of this study is $965,450. Significant funding has already been secured from Clemson’s Public Service and Agricultural Department (PSA) and Clemson’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), totaling $280,000. Other funding commitments include $125,000 from the Town and $120,000 from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Additional funding is anticipated from the pest control industry, other Kiawah Island entities, and conservation organizations.

The research team from Clemson includes Meghan Keating
(Ph.D. student), Dr. Greg Jachowski, Dr. Greg Yarrow, and Dr. Thomas Rainwater. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting new project in the future.
(843) 768-9166