by Jesse Hanson, Grade 8
In the winter, going to work early or driving kids to school in the dark, sometimes we see a bobcat hunting around the compost bin of one of the houses in our neighbourhood or crossing 90th Ave before there is traffic.
Bobcats are a type of lynx:
1. The Canada lynx has big, furry feet and can walk on deep snow.
2. The bobcat has a stubby tail.
Bobcats live in habitats where the snow does not get as deep.
With the milder winters we have been having, you are more likely to catch a glimpse of one.
The quiet green space near Calgary’s Glenmore Reservoir usually has a wealth of prairie hares and the evergreens in Bayview are home to three types of squirrels, all of which are natural prey for bobcats. Their food source and habitat are here and that’s why we’re seeing them.
Bobcats are about twice the size of a house cat. With the conditions we have in Bayview, don’t be surprised to see them in your backyards and gardens,
They can leap onto a fence to catch a squirrel or chase down a rabbit.
If a small dog wants to challenge them, expect it to lose.
They are ambush predators. So, normally they sit and watch and wait for a prey animal to come close enough. Then they do a short run and chase.
As shy as they are of humans, they have been known, when hungry, to take a house cat, and even a small dog. So, if you see one lounging and stretching out in your backyard, it’s not a good idea to introduce it to your pet.
Isn’t it nice to have the chance of coming across a creature like this?
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