As a guide I am usually the only person of any perceived authority that folks know to contact about their wildlife sightings. In the last few days I have had three interesting bobcat sightings reported to me. First a farmer from Warren reported that a rabbit crossed the lawn with an adult bobcat in hot pursuit one morning last week, the most interesting part of that story was that there were several folks standing in the barn to watch the show. Both critters were still running when last in sight so I have nothing to report on the outcome of the chase.
The second report came when I dropped some shirts off to be cleaned and the attendant breathlessly reported that she had seen a mountain lion cross the road right here in Union. As a lion skeptic (I am pretty sure we don’t have them around) I asked a few questions about size, shape and color and it was pretty clearly an adult bobcat with a half grown kitten. Then last evening Argy called to excitedly report that a really big animal had crossed the road on her way home from Augusta with a rabbit in its mouth and could it have possibly been a bobcat? After the exact same line of questioning I am sure it was.
Over the last few years the numbers of bobcats in our area have gone up noticeably. So as you are traveling around the mid-coast this summer keep your eyes open and you just may be lucky enough to see a bobcat too!
Comments
Could it be a Lynx?
Watching wildlife is fun, educational and interesting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with all of us!
It Could be a Lynx
But the description in both cases did not sound like it. Lynx have expanded in Maine at least as far south as Bangor and the distance from Bangor certainly would not prevent one from wandering this far.
I do see lynx regularly when guiding at Libby Camps in the fall though. Never when the camera is handy though.
You are pretty lucky to have
You are pretty lucky to have been in the right place at the right time. Not to mention on a busy stretch of road.
Possible bobcat sighting
July 31, 2012, 6 pm, crossing Rt 90 about a mile east of the intersection with Rt 17 in West Rockport. Had a kitten in tow. Could've been a very large house cat, but definitely had a bobbed tail, was quite lean, had long legs. Seen from about 50-100 yards away.
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