Rare footage adds to growing reports of the endangered wildcat’s return to central New Jersey.
LEBANON, NJ – Residents in Lebanon were surprised this week when an office security camera captured a large bobcat walking up to a building’s front door early Tuesday morning. The sighting occurred around 4:00 a.m. along Route 22, near Round Valley Reservoir — a heavily wooded area that provides ideal habitat for New Jersey’s elusive native wildcat.
Key Points
- Office cameras recorded a bobcat outside a Lebanon business early Tuesday morning
- Bobcats, though endangered in New Jersey, are making a slow comeback across central regions
- Wildlife experts urge residents to keep distance and protect pets, especially near wooded areas
Rare, endangered predator reappearing in Hunterdon County
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection lists bobcats as an endangered species, with most of the state’s population historically confined to the remote forests of Sussex, Warren, Passaic, and Morris Counties. However, wildlife officials and residents say the cats are expanding their range southward, with confirmed sightings in Hunterdon County throughout 2025 and early 2026.
The nocturnal predators are typically shy and avoid humans, but security and trail cameras have increasingly documented their movement through Lebanon, Clinton, and Readington. Bobcats are most active during dawn and dusk and often travel near wooded areas, fields, and waterways in search of prey such as rabbits, rodents, and birds.
Experts advise caution and observation
While rarely a threat to humans, officials recommend keeping small pets indoors and avoiding leaving food outdoors that could attract wildlife. The current breeding season, which runs from late February through early April, may lead to more frequent sightings.
Wildlife biologists say the sightings are an encouraging sign of the species’ recovery after near extinction in the state by the 1970s. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife has been tracking the bobcat’s comeback through camera monitoring and genetic studies.
Residents who spot a bobcat are encouraged to observe from a distance and report sightings to state wildlife officials.