Bobcat Awareness

Just a couple days ago I wrote a story about hiking and Boy Scouts, etc. talking about how to protect yourself should you be confronted by a bear. Well, I recently learned two people were attacked by a bobcat in Withlacoochee State Forest located in Citrus County, Florida as they were hiking with their Boy Scout group. It could perhaps be because the female bobcats have their babies in April or May. They killed and had tested it for rabies. There are approximately fifty five thousand deaths from rabies all around the world annually: thirty one thousand in Asia, and 24,000 in Africa.

Rabies (comes from Latin which means "madness") is a viral neuroinvasive disease which causes inflammation of the brain, and it is deadly if left untreated. It takes a few months to travel to the central nervous system. Symptoms are fever, headache, violent movements, depression, acute pain, and inability to swallow water. Later stages of it include coma and death after respiratory insufficiency. It's a significant killer of livestock in several countries.

I never realized Bobcats were anywhere near my town. I was really surprised to see that they do, however in fact live and have adapted very well to living in suburban areas, swamps, and even deserts. They are mainly a North American animal, living mainly in the United States, and on into parts of Canada! They're twice as big as a regular house cat. A male can get up to 47 inches long, and are approximately 15 inches tall, and up to 30 pounds. Their tail is stubby, and that's how it got it's name. Their average life span in the wild is up to ten years, and in captivity, thirty-two.

They stalk their prey, then pounce on it after a short chase. They normally eat rabbits, rodents, fish, birds and bugs, and they've also been known to kill deer, foxes, poultry, sheep, house cats and even small dogs! It's an endangered species in New Jersey, Ohio and Indiana.

If you plan to do any hiking, you should make sure that you have a personal defense weapon on you at all times. A stun baton is a great device to have, as well as pepper or bear pepper spray.

Yours In Safety,

Regina Jacques