Branford Bobcat Smiles for the Camera
A Branford resident was about to step outside of her Lantern View Drive home with her children and their dog when she spotted a bobcat in their backyard. She decided to stick to the safety of the great indoors – and grab a great photo of their wild visitor.
Laurie Hansen shared with Zip06/The Sound her pictures of a very healthy (and apparently smiling) bobcat that stayed in the family's backyard for about 45 minutes after it was spotted there on Sunday, February 9, said her husband, Adam Hansen.
It was the first time a bobcat has visited their propoerty in their two years of residing at their home in the Queech Road area of Branford, he said.
According to the Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the bobcat is the only wild cat residing in the state. It is also the most common wild cat in North America. By law, bobcats are protected from hunters in Connecticut. DEEP's Wildlife Division reports sighting and vehicle-kill reports indicate that bobcats reside in all eight Connecticut counties, with the heaviest concentrations in the northwestern corner of the state.
According to DEEP bobcats are most active just after dusk and before dawn. Their diet is largely made up from hunting rabbits, woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, voles,hares, white-tailed deer (usually sick or injured) and birds. Infrequently, bobcats will also prey on domestic animals (poultry, small pigs, sheep, and goats) and attack domestic cats. Attacks on people are extremely rare. For more information, visit https://www.ct.gov/deep
More information on bobcats in Connecticut can be found at https://www.ct.gov/deep