Business Park Bobcats

DATELINE – April 2025

As counter intuitive as it may seem, it turns out that Dallas/Fort Worth area business parks–and other, similar urban developments–can be wonderful havens for many species of native wildlife. The excellent habitats and conditions provided by industrial areas like these can support a surprising and varied population of wild animals. Many of our more adaptable creatures can successfully live out their entire lives strictly within the confines of these unquestionably urban environments.

Business Parks from around the Metroplex

A sizeable number of business parks in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex are constructed in areas not well suited to residential or commercial use. Many have grown up in close proximity to the Trinity River and its more important tributaries. The wildernesses that follow these waterways continue on even as the rivers and streams are pinched by urban development. As the rivers, streams and their associated bottomlands woods snake through the metroplex, they become exceptional wildlife corridors that facilitate the movement of animals into and out of our industrial parks

Once pioneering wildlife find their way into such urban developments, they will discover that business parks are more than capable of meeting their every survival need. It is not uncommon for industrial areas to come complete with abundant landscaping, and many also include ample water features–such as ponds and small lakes.

A variety of excellent habitats can be found in many area Business Parks

Additionally, there are places in many business parks that might be referred to as “forgotten corners”. These are areas people have no reason to visit regularly, and as a consequence, these spots often are allowed to go feral. When “forgotten corners” are large enough, they can contribute greatly to accommodating urban wildlife.

Some forgotten corners more closely resemble jungles
than typical urban developments

Signs of wildlife activity come in various forms.
Here indications of gnawing on a discarded piece of PVC pipe

Another aspect of business parks that wild animals find appealing is the limited and predictable schedules of the people who work there. Most often, the folks who have jobs in these places, come in fairly early in the day, stay indoors to do their work, and the vacate the business park just as soon as the quitting time comes around. This situation gives the resident wildlife ample opportunity to attend to their business during the witching hour, when most of the people are at home, safe in their beds.

It was with the idea that business parks can be wildlife havens in mind that we approach the trail camera project documented in this article. Earlier this spring we identified places in various industrial areas around town that looked conducive to wildlife activity, and we left a few cameras in these spots to see what we would see. The photo essay that follows illustrates some of our findings!

Three or Four Bobcats frequented this part of a DFW Business Park,
and they were photographed with regularity

In this sequence, a Bobcat detects the
sound of my trail camera activating,
and the cat comes in close to investigate!

Bobcats can thrive in Business Parks, because these urban developments often play host to an abundance of prey species, including Eastern Cottontails, Black Rats, Norway Rats, Eastern Fox Squirrels, various small birds, such as doves, and water fowl, including ducks and geese. There are always plenty prey animals available for Bobcats to hunt and consume. The quantity of prey can be ample enough to support many other types of North Texas predators, as well. Animals like Gray Foxes, Coyotes, hawks, and owls belong on this list.

Other types native Texas species can also be found in Business Parks. This list might include Common Raccoons, Nine-banded Armadillos, Virginia Opossums, Beavers, North American River Otters and Striped Skunks. In addition, many species of reptiles, amphibians, and a wide variety of invertebrates make their homes in DFW Industrial Parks. There is absolutely no shortage of wildlife in these very common urban developments!