Rare sighting of Bob (the bobcat)
Human-bobcat interactions are exceptionally rare, so when Bob showed up one early evening in March, we were all completely shocked albeit also totally elated. We had heard of sightings in the area-of Bob being spotted walking down the sidewalk like he owned this part of the neighbourhood…we knew he existed…we had just never seen him for ourselves…until now!
Bob (the bobcat) using the stepping stones
Bob was a magnificent creature…he skillfully manoeuvred the chain link fence that separates us from the neighbours around us, bringing him within less than 25 feet of our family’s dining room window. All eyes (and lenses) were on him as he sniffed around, blissfully unaware of all of the attention. When Bob found himself within the confines of a neighbour’s yard, we all waited anxiously to see how he would navigate his way out, which he expertly did by squeezing through the narrow gap between the side of the house and the pole of the chain linked fence, a rather tight squeeze for a cat of his size.
We were all abuzz, sending out the big news to neighbours, friends and family via social media. We got all the usual reactions and then some…one being, ‘you sure it’s not just an obese cat?’ A legitimate question since Bob did bear some resemblance to your friendly neighbourhood family kitty, only considerably larger in size. Furthermore, we got the obvious questions regarding safety one would expect when encountering a wildcat in a suburban neighbourhood.
This begs the question, what is important to know regarding bobcat safety and how should one respond should they happen to encounter a bobcat in an "urban edge" environment, where human development intersects with a bobcat’s natural habitat.
Bobcats are a medium sized cat native to North America. They are the smallest of Alberta’s wild cats (about twice the size of a domestic cat). They are solitary animals, nocturnal, most active during dawn (sunrise) and dusk (sunset) and naturally shy of people. At times they inhabit areas populated by humans (and are highly adaptable in such situations). Typically, they can live near human populations without incident.
It is extremely unlikely for a healthy bobcat to attack a human. Bobcat attacks on humans only tend to occur if the bobcat is protecting its kittens (young) or is sick, particularly due to rabies infection. Bobcat kittens are usually born in the spring between April and June.
Bobcats can be identified by their tufted ears, short, black-tipped tail (black on top, white on the bottom), distinctive black bars on their forelegs, white underbelly and dark markings for camouflage. The coat of a bobcat can vary in colour from light gray to yellowish-brownish, brown or reddish-brown.
Bobcats are opportunistic hunters. They will place their back feet in the same spots where their front feet have stepped to reduce noise when hunting. If bobcats are known to inhabit an area, it is important to keep cats indoors and supervise small dogs. Although bobcats are carnivorous, whose diet consists mostly of rabbits and hares as well as small game like squirrels, birds and mice, they have been known to hunt domestic dogs and cats if they have been deprived of natural food sources.
Bobcats are able to jump as high as 12 feet and can run at a top speed of 30-34 mph.
In the unlikely event that you encounter a bobcat, take the following precautions to protect yourself, young children and/or pets:
Don’t approach it. Maintain appropriate distance.
Do not turn your back on a bobcat. Face it and back away slowly and deliberately to establish space.
Never run from a bobcat as it may provoke the bobcat to pursue.
Do not feed a bobcat as this behaviour will cause them to learn to associate people with food.
Make noise. Waving your arms and creating a disturbance will help the bobcat quickly identify you as human.
If you have water, throw or spray it at the bobcat. They dislike water.
For additional information regarding how to minimize a bobcat from being attracted to your property and what to do if one is, please access the link below from the Alberta government regarding Human-Wildlife Conflict: Bobcats.
https://www.alberta.ca/bobcats.aspx
Furthermore, the City of Calgary has a wildlife monitoring map outlining where various species of wildlife live and travel within the city. It can be found here:
https://maps.calgary.ca/Wildlife/
We were happy to know that Bob, the elusive wildcat was something of a rare and special sight to see so close up in our suburban neighbourhood. What’s more, we were pleased to know he posed little risk to us as humans when viewed from a safe distance. So long as we took the necessary precautions, it was completely possible for us to successfully coexist in the same space. We hope one day you will also have the good fortune of a visit from Bob!