One of our neighbors reported that a bobcat was observed in the area of Goretti's Supermarket and wanted others to be aware and alerted.

Bobcats are elusive and are rarely seen across their range. This is due to their preference for finding cover wherever they live, whether that's scrubland, forests, swamps, or even residential areas.

While bobcats can tackle large prey such as deer, they subsist mostly on rodents and rabbits. Despite their reputation for eating household pets, they rarely choose them as prey. That said, they do occasionally take advantage of unsecured chickens or domestic pets. Bobcats will even eat sharks or fish.

Bobcats are crepuscular hunters, preferring to hunt at dusk and dawn. Depending on prey availability, they sometimes keep a more nocturnal hunting schedule. They are stealthy hunters and can pounce 10 feet in one leap.

Bobcats primarily live a solitary life. Their range size varies widely depending on the availability of suitable prey. Females typically have territories of around 6 square miles, while males' territories span about 25 square miles and may overlap with one or more female bobcats' home ranges.

Bobcats don't usually share territories with another cat of the same sex. They keep other bobcats out of their territory through scent marking with urine, feces, and anal gland secretions.

Bobcats run at speeds of up to 30 mph. They are more sprinters than distance runners, as they only run for short distances when attempting to capture prey. Their hunting running gait is another way that a bobcat lives up to its name: they sometimes run like a rabbit, placing their hind feet in the same place as their front feet. This style of running creates a bobbing appearance when they run.

Common Sense Recommendations

1. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times, keep children and pets close and inside from dusk to dawn.
2. Do not turn your back on a bobcat or other wildlife.
3. Make yourself larger by extending arms up and out.
4. Do not make aggressive moves toward any wild animal.
5. Please keep yards well maintained and clear of clutter, trash, or debris as to avoid providing places to hide or to make a den.
6. If a bobcat or other predator is spotted, please immediately alert neighbors, and if necessary the appropriate town official, if the animal exhibits aggressive behavior.