Bobcat sighting: Is this the same one or are we overrun?

Photo courtesy of Gene Burkett of Neverland Park and NextDoor.

Gene Burkett of Neverland Park photographed this bobcat and posted it on NextDoor. Is it the same bobcat that we’ve seen in back yards and on roofs? Are pets at risk? He certainly looks at home. Mary Ellen Bluntzer of Preston Hollow East brings credibility and calm to the conversation. She is a board member of Crosstimbers Bobcat Research and Rescue in Terrell. She says small pets are at risk, including dogs, coyotes, owls and hawks. “The bottom line is it’s dangerous being small,” she wrote on NextDoor. “Small pets need supervision when outdoors. As for what to do if walking and you encounter a bobcat, remember wildlife has two modes — trust and fear AND fear means FLEE. So enjoy the view and count yourself lucky for having seen one. If you want to frighten them, just clap or make loud noise. They will go away. They do not attack humans, they do defend themselves when they feel cornered. As long as they have a place to run, they will go away.” She adds that we owe them for keeping the rat population down. “Rats, squirrels and bunnies are their usual diet.”