Between the Lions .... LITERALLY! I was out for a walk this morning ...

**Early Bird** · 02-09-2006, 10:14 AM

I was walking along a road through some undeveloped land -- sagebrush, scrub pines. Probably a 100-yard stretch of emptiness between streets of houses.

A BOBCAT ran across the road in front of me West -> East.

I stopped, got my bearings, and then went past the area slowly and carefully.

He was turned back looking at the street. I got a fair look at him -- definitely not a house cat or a coyote. But, because the sun was behind him, I couldn't tell a lot of detail.

I went on toward the houses, then turned back to estimate where the bobcat had been.

ANOTHER bobcat ran out from the West!

Just then, a school bus blasted around the corner. The second bobcat whipped around and headed back into the sagebrush.

I came home and reported the bobcats to the authorities. After all, there's a schoolbus stop at the corner of that street!

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So, how often do you start your day by walking between two uncaged predators?

**Early Bird** · 02-09-2006, 10:15 AM

Some info about bobcats:

From a Wild America site (http://www.waol.com/pages/s19.html ) :

It's hardly bigger than a house cat. But this little bundle of nerves is one of the most fierce and versatile predators in the world.

It roams our western mountains and deserts to elevations of about 10,000 feet. It hunts among the cypress bayous of our southern swamps, and the hardwood forests of our eastern woodlands. It's at home on our plains and prairies.

The white tip of its tail sets the Bobcat apart from its cousin, the Lynx, which has a black tail tip. The Bobcat also has a far more diversified range than the Lynx. The Bobcat is found from coast to coast, and from Mexico to the Canadian border, across all the contiguous States.

The range of the less common Lynx stretches north across the great Boreal forest of Canada. Only in a few isolated areas of the northern Rockies do the ranges of these two cats overlap.

Though both animals are superb nocturnal hunters, the Lynx has a relaxed personality while the Bobcat is fiercely aggressive.

In this rare encounter, the Lynx has a slight advantage in size, weight, and reach. But the Bobcat has the more important advantage of a ferocious disposition.

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Update:

Fire Department reported the pair to Animal Control.
Animal Control is contacting Fish and Wildlife.

They recommended that I carry MACE!

**dolphin** · 02-09-2006, 10:24 AM

Uhhh how scary! I'm glad they didn't attack!

**Darlene** · 02-09-2006, 10:31 AM

Wow, wild kingdom! Hope they head back to less populated areas.

**Early Bird** · 02-09-2006, 10:35 AM

Here's a web photo:

http://www.sierrafoothill.org/images/Gallery/bobcat.jpg

**paelthom** · 02-09-2006, 10:42 AM

That's too close for comfort for me.

**Early Bird** · 02-09-2006, 11:02 AM

It's been almost two hours, and I'm still shakey.

**KimSecret** · 02-09-2006, 11:28 AM

Oh My!!

I'm so glad you are safe! I've heard horror stories about these things attacking people. I hope they can move them to a less populated area w/out harming them.

**Emerald_Mommy** · 02-09-2006, 11:58 AM

My goodness! I'm glad you're o.k!

**Pepper** · 02-09-2006, 06:32 PM

OMGoodness! You are braver than me. I would still be standing, unable to move, in the road terrified. I am a big baby sometimes.

I'm so glad you are ok and that you reported it. WOW!

**KatieInLa2** · 02-09-2006, 09:38 PM

I live next to a large plot of wooded land and a big, fat bobcat came into my front yard (75' from the house) this summer. It was so hot and dry I think he was looking for water. I haven't seen him since.

**Mom23boys** · 02-09-2006, 10:31 PM

How terrifying! I would still be shaking. Glad they didn't bother you.

**leeleeaub** · 02-10-2006, 01:46 AM

I am very glad you are safe. I have a weird animal story as well from years ago. My ex husband had dropped me and my son who was 4 at the time off at a pond to go fishing. All of a sudden I heard a sound and a BIG bull was headed straight for us. I picked him up and ran as fast as I could he was running after us just inches away. We got over the fence in just the nick of time and had to stay under a tree for about 2 hours waiting to get picked up. My ex husband went back in and got the fishing poles and tackle box. Needless to say I NEVER went fishing there again