Cat/Griz alumni biologists discuss ecology of bobcats and grizzlies in the wild

The MSU Alumni Foundation building filled up Thursday, Nov. 17, for a presentation from Andrew Pils, the forest biologist for the Shoshone National Forest, and his wife Shannon Pils, also a biologist for Shoshone National Forest. The two spoke about the real-life ecology of bobcats and grizzlies.

Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and their physical surroundings. MSU graduate Andrew Pils explained bobcat and mountain lion ecology, and UM graduate Shannon Pils spoke about grizzly bear ecology.

The talk came just a few days before the 2022 Brawl of the Wild. Although the speech was held in Bozeman, it was also broadcast to Missoula, where a room of Griz watched simultaneously.

For the lecture, Andrew Pils presented the ecology of bobcats and mountain lions. His wife, Shannon Pils, who used to be the habitat specialist for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, took on explaining the opposing ecology of grizzlies.

The event was supported by the MSU Alumni Foundation, the UM Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI/MOLLI) and the MSU Retiree Association. The event's function was not only for educational fun but to support the “Can the Cats”/“Can the Griz” food drives in Bozeman and Missoula.

In place of a registration fee for the event, donations were accepted for “Can the Cats”/“Can the Griz” either at the time of admittance or by donating monetarily online.

Kicking off the presentation, the Spirit of the West Marching Band gave a short, surprise performance for the audience in the Alumni building. Each audience member was given a “cat mat,” a plastic sign to wave in support of the ‘Cats at the beginning of the talk.

Both lectures alternated between several key aspects of bobcats and grizzlies, ranging from diet, territory and physical attributes.

Although bobcats and grizzlies occupy different territories and nearly never interact, mountain lions and grizzlies can run into each other when looking for food. However, as Andrew Pils said, “when bears and lions interact, it is generally at the dinner table, and it’s generally to the cat’s detriment.”

On a positive note, “the real-life bobcats and grizzlies could be called conservation success stories in numbers and distribution. Bobcats and lions have recolonized all the suitable habitat in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem after being driven out from hunting, deforestation and rapid development,” Andrew Pils said.

The talk ended with a Q&A from the Bozeman and Missoula group. Afterward, there was an opportunity for audience members to check out several bobcats and grizzly coats and skulls the Pils had brought.

The ‘Cats ended up winning both the Can the Cats-Griz food drive and the Montana Red Cross Cat-Griz Blood Battle. MSU raised 613,054.12 pounds and dollars of food, while UM raised 428,022 pounds and dollars of food. At the same time, Bobcat fans donated 164 units of lifesaving blood while the Grizzly nation gave 100 units.

Keep an eye out for other OLLI events, including its next monthly community forum featuring panelists and presenters speaking about timely local issues. The December forum will be “Gallatin Valley Winter Trails,” focused primarily on human-powered trails — current, challenges and expansion.