Wild Bobcat Caught on Camera Lurking Outside Family Home in Plain Daylight
A Texas homeowner got the fright of her life when a bobcat decided to pay a visit.
In footage captured on a Ring security camera, the wild animal can be seen perched on a fence outside her property and surveying the area. The clip was filmed outside the residence in Frisco, Texas.
The bobcat's unexpected appearance left the homeowner hesitant to leave her property. "I was terrified to go outside and didn't leave my house that day," she said, according to a Ring press release. "I wasn't sure if there were multiple bobcats or just one. The first day there was just one."
The next day, the bobcat returned, only this time it brought a friend. The homeowner said the two bobcats ended up staying in the yard outside her house for a few days. Since then, she has not seen hide nor hair of either animal, leading her to believe they had moved on.
It's rare for people to see a bobcat this close up in a residential area. The Humane Society of the United States said the animal is "so elusive that you'd be lucky to catch a glimpse of one in your lifetime."
"Not much bigger than a large house cat, bobcats don't pose a public safety threat, but may show up in suburban areas as they lose natural habitat," the animal welfare organization writes. Bobcats live in almost every region of the continental U.S.
For those eager to avoid encountering these animals, In-Sync Exotics, a big cat sanctuary, told Fort Worth, Texas, TV station KXAS that homeowners should keep pet food inside and secure any trash. As a further step, In-Sync suggests leaving a talk radio station on or setting up motion-sensor sprinklers to ward off the animals.
"The good news is that bobcats are the best pest control you could hope for," In-Sync told the station. "They don't want to bother us and are not just waiting to prey upon children or pets. They would much rather we didn't even know they were there."
