A bobcat - a consummate predator and a bold raider - can become a nuisance
that has to be controlled. Its screams in the night can frighten youngsters.
If rabid, it can pose a serious threat to humans. Deprived of natural prey, it
may turn to livestock and pets for food.
Minimize Encounters
Should you encounter a bobcat, you should keep as much
distance between you and the animal as possible:
- Immediately protect children and pets
- Back away from the bobcat slowly and deliberately
- Avoid running away because that could trigger a pursuit response
- If possible, spray the animal with water
- When possible make a lot of noise (banging pans, for instance, or blowing
an air horn)
Attacks
Attacks by bobcats on humans are rare. Normally if a bobcat approaches a
human or seems aggressive towards you it is most likely sick or rabid. If a bobcat
tries to attack you do whatever you can to defend yourself. If attacked, seek
medical care promptly. If the bobcat is killed during the attack, make sure you
have authorities examine the carcass of the bobcat for rabies or other diseases.
If you see a bobcat hanging around a populated neighborhood or where people
frequently hang out, notify animal control authorities immediately. They can
observe the bobcat and remove it from the area if it seems to be a threat.
Protect Livestock
A bobcat that preys persistently on free-ranging livestock may require relocation
or extermination, probably by a government agency or a commercial trapper. Contact
your local Department of Fish and Game for assistance with removing bobcats or
other predators from your area.
A bobcat might also be discouraged from attacking livestock by a fence, if
practicable. The Los Angeles Animal Services, on its Internet site, suggests
that the fence should be at least 6 feet high, with the bottom extended some
6 to 12 inches below ground and the top protected by an outward-facing 16-inch
wide-angle extension. (Without the wide-angle extension, the bobcat could likely
jump the fence.)
Protect Your Yard
If bobcats begin to appear in your neighborhood, you can
take several precautions to discourage visits and protect pets:
- Trim back excess vegetation that might otherwise provide cover
- Do not feed birds or other wildlife, which might attract bobcats
- Do not feed the bobcats
- Do not leave pet food or water outdoors
- Vaccinate your pets
- Keep pets indoors or in secure, protective cages or pens
- Consider a deterrent that generates electronic sounds that mimic the calls
of bobcats' enemies, for instance, the hiss of a cougar
If you can discourage bobcat visits and predation, you could not only increase
the security for you and your family as well as for livestock pets, you could
very well save a bobcat's life.
Click here for a Movie of a Bobcat.
The Bobcat
Follow DesertUSA