A bobcat, faced with development and encroachment that erode its habitat and
deplete its natural prey may raise some threat to the unwelcome human and domesticated
animal intruders.
Threat to Humans
Even confronted with diminishing prey, a healthy bobcat seldom
attacks a human. In fact, said to the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Internet
site, "Bobcats
are not considered a threat to human safety except in rare cases when they have
rabies or are extremely aggressive." Attacks do happen, however. For example,
bobcats, evidently rabid, attacked two people in southern Arizona in January
of 2004, according to the Arizona Daily Star. If a bobcat does attack, it can
inflict significant wounds, instinctively pouncing on the victim's shoulder area
and going for the neck, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System's
Extension Daily. It may cause particularly serious consequences if it has rabies.
A bobcat attack requires prompt medical care, preferably with the carcass in
tow so it can be checked for rabies.
Threat to Livestock
The bobcat poses a higher threat to livestock than to humans,
although, overall, the "impact has generally been minor and localized," said
Kevin Hansen in his book Bobcat: Master of Survival. Most often, it takes
young calves, sheep, goats and domestic fowl. For instance, in Fiscal Year 2003,
bobcats killed 8 calves, 73 sheep, 453 lambs, 389 goats and 864 chickens as well
as numerous other fowl across 22 states, according to federal Wildlife Services
statistics (as noted by Hansen). Undoubtedly, bobcats killed other animals and
fowl that went unreported.
In calendar year 2004, noted Hansen, bobcats killed an estimated 11,100 sheep
and lambs across the nation, according to U. S. Department of Agriculture statistics.
This accounted for a loss of some $814,000. By comparison, coyotes killed an
estimated 135,600; dogs, 29,800; pumas, 12,700; bears, 8,500; eagles, 6,300;
and foxes, 4,200. Collectively, these predators accounted for losses of some
$17,500,000. (The estimates of the numbers of animals killed have some imprecision
because of some randomness in the survey and uncertainty in predator identification.)
Threat to Pets
Bobcats can pose a serious threat to pets, especially those that run freely
in yards with native plant gardens, substantial wildlife, shelter, shade and
water - and bobcats can be surprisingly bold around homes in rural areas.
For instance, a bobcat snatched a large house cat from a local family's front
porch in Newnan, Georgia, in August 2008, according to Jill Isaac, Times-Herald. Two other bobcats walked right up to the backdoor of another house in Newnan,
and the homeowner said "...they are really very friendly."
In another instance, a bobcat broke through a cage immediately beside a house
in the southwest part of the Las Vegas and made a quick meal of a pair of parakeets
and a yellow-crested cockatoo in November 2007, according to Keith Rogers, Las
Vegas Review-Journal.
In still another instance, in other locations, a bobcat
chased house cats across the roof of a family home, and yet another took several
domestic fowls from a back yard.
Adaptability
Bobcats often learn to cope very well with human encroachment. "Indeed," said
Alabama's Extension Daily, "wildlife biologists have often marveled at how
effectively the animals have adapted to human-introduced changes in their environment
- a fact reflected in their surprisingly large numbers."
Click here for a Movie of a Bobcat.
The Bobcat
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