Lewis and Clark in North Dakota:
Wildlife Then & Now
Mammals
Panther, Louservia & Tiger Cat (Mountain Lion, Canada Lynx & Bobcat)
Compared to wild dogs, wild cats were a rarity on the northern Great Plains. Although familiar with these animals back in the United States, no members of Lewis and Clark's expedition reported seeing wild cats while in North Dakota. Historically, mountain lions were rare east of the Missouri and uncommon in the badlands. Lynx probably were found in the Turtle Mountains and Pembina Hills prior to 1875. Today lions and lynx are sighted rarely in the state. Bobcats were reported historically throughout the state at low numbers, with the most frequent reports from the badlands. Bobcat numbers declined after settlement of the badlands in the 1880s. Today, with regulated hunting and trapping, bobcats have made a modest comeback with most of the animals taken in the badlands and along the Missouri River.
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