Ok One more and back to the labs:
Police think ‘tigers’ spotted near Union Station were bobcats
I’ve never heard of a bobcat attack on humans, but I’ve seen a bunch of these guys and they are both big and powerful, so if I generally suggest people give them a wide berth, as they certainly have the capability of being VERY dangerous to people, and epically small children.
One subject I like to focus on here is that one should carry a defensive arm not only for criminal threats, but also for aggressive animals. Agressive dogs are probably the most common non-human creature that might threaten the life of you or a loved one, but with the shrinking of hunting culture and seasons, as well as urban sprawl, the chance of encountering a dangerous animal like a bear, a bobcat or a coyote can be quite realistic.
I’m glad Bob who lives in this area packs heat, you never know when you could suddenly be in grave danger, and that danger is not always from other humans.
We’ve had reports of bobcats in my city just to the north and to the south of where I live.
In my neighborhood, I’ve seen both red and blue foxes, possum, and raccoon. Heck, there is a family of possums living in the backyards abutting mine and I’ve watched a family of 5 raccoons walk the fence line many times.
By the way — which is more likely to be a problem — a bobcat or a rabid raccoon, eh?
No to mention the fact that one of my neighbors recently knocked on our door – showed a picture of what appeared to be a water moccasin skedaddling into our yard — a 5+ foot poisonous snake.
When she heard about bobcat sightings near the Rolling Hills Country Club, Darlene Kanemura had the clue she needed to solve the mystery of the disembodied squirrel tails she found in her yard.
Then she came face to face with the suspect.
“I was stunned,” said Kanemura, who found a large cat sitting near her driveway about three weeks ago. “I looked over and said, ‘Scat!'”
To her surprise, the cat obliged.
Such encounters are not unusual in neighborhoods along and northwest of the Rolling Hills Country Club, north of Interstate 30 and east of Cooper StreetThe baby duck population around the country club ponds has dropped to near zero, residents said this week. But they were quick to point out that hawks and coyotes patrol the area and that turtles have been known to snatch ducklings. (And the ducks could have relocated on their own.)
and of course the money quote
The city animal services department has gotten no calls about bobcats in the country club area — and it doesn’t want to.
“The only time we would want to know about the bobcats is if they’re walking and stumbling, like they’re sick,” said Ray Rentschler, the city community services supervisor over animal control. “That can be a sign of distemper or rabies, and that would be when we’re concerned about it.”
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/16/2341629/residents-near-rolling-hills-country.html#ixzz0uLMjuv5f
“which is more likely to be a problem — a bobcat or a rabid raccoon, eh?”
i’d say the raccoon. probably even rabid, the bobcat would be more likely to keep its distance.
heck, i know there’re bobcats around where i live, but i’ve never seen hide nor hair of them. raccoons, though, are pests.
I’d imagine a rabid bobcat would be something to be reckoned with!
The russian boar around here from defunct exotic game ranches and feral hogs are not really wonderful neighbors, either. More of a problem with them fighting people’s dogs and destroying agriculture than human attacks. Snake attacks aren’t much common either. People often kill rattlers on sight, but you rarely hear of anybody being bit by one that wasn’t asking for it, water mocs are more likely for a snakebite. Known one person in my life that had to shoot a problem bear in Colorado, because relocating it didn’t work and the state gave him a permit, it was shy of humans, killed a lot of livestock and raided the garbage, but avoided people. Took him a while to hunt it.
Only person I ever personally have known to be attacked by a bobcat was an acquaintance who shot one and thought it was dead when it wasn’t and went to pick it up…it wasn’t a happy camper but it wouldn’t have been anywhere near him if he hadn’t have shot it.
They occasionally do happen, but wild animal attacks on humans in the US are quite rare considering populations and we don’t have too many animals that are particularly human-blood-thirsty. Not even gators.
Only wild animal other than spiders that has ever attacked me was a sea lion when I was kayaking off the kkkalifornia koast and it’s pup was sleeping on a buoy so I paddled over to look at it and didn’t notice the momma near by. Just capsized me and ran me off. And I’ve spent a lot of time pestering animals in the countryside of America.
There’s plenty of wild everything on my land as far as Texas goes, and about the only things that have ever bothered me are brown recluse spiders. Doesn’t hurt to be prepared but the odds of danger are pretty low. It’s not like walking around in the jungles of Asia or Africa or the African plains. Real tigers are rather a problem, as they often take to hunting humans, but being as we don’t have any, we’re pretty safe.