Bobcat (Bernalillo: living, eat, trailer)

[songinthewind7]

Thanks for posting the beautiful pictures.
They look like domestic housepets to me and so tame even though I know they're not.

[catman]

Cathy4017: Javelina are mean little buggers, IMO! When I stayed at Chisos Lodge in Big Bend Nat'l Park, they were always trying to get me. If I went out in the cabin's back yard, they would show up and run at me. Funny, but I don't imagine it would have been a laugh if one had caught me.

[Fischer_girl]

Originally Posted by catman

Thanks for the info. No, I knew they weren't domesticated! But at least they are friendly. I almost expected you to say you never turn your back on them. I wonder why they like to hop up on your back. Do you think they try to assert dominance that way?

Was that a confrontation in the second photo? It looks like one. I liked the photos so much that I saved them.

You know..I can't say for sure..but I WANT to say that at some point someone taught the cats to hop up on their backs..and now thats just what they do, although it should never be encouraged. Thats just asking for trouble.
The morning that I took the second photo I happened to pass by the cats as I was walking to a different building. I stopped by their habitat because I could tell they wanted the attention. The two cats were standing on a platform and were rough housing to spar eachother off. It was not an official confrontation.. but it sure looks that way in the shot!
With the 4th cat I talked about...we basically don't turn our backs on her. When animals are imprinted..even the ones commonly used for education..they are drawn to humans to the extent that they no longer FEAR humans..which can be a very scary thing!

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by catman

Cathy4017: Javelina are mean little buggers, IMO! When I stayed at Chisos Lodge in Big Bend Nat'l Park, they were always trying to get me. If I went out in the cabin's back yard, they would show up and run at me. Funny, but I don't imagine it would have been a laugh if one had caught me.

Ummm....no! I wouldn't want those teeth in my leg!!

When I turned the corner at Indian Lodge in Ft Davis, I almost ran over one next to the wall on the pavement! I sure was glad when it started moving across the road to the tree cover, LOL!!

[catman]

Fischer_girl: Maybe they were taught to hop on people's backs. It may have been cute when they were kittens, but not so much now! Your point concerning wild animals losing their fear of humans is well taken.

Cathy4017: Yes, javelina look like cartoon characters and are sorta 'cute' in their ugly way, but I get the impression they are entirely serious when they charge you! The ones around Big Bend certainly have no fear whatsoever, having been around people so long.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by catman

Fischer_girl: Maybe they were taught to hop on people's backs. It may have been cute when they were kittens, but not so much now! Your point concerning wild animals losing their fear of humans is well taken.

Cathy4017: Yes, javelina look like cartoon characters and are sorta 'cute' in their ugly way, but I get the impression they are entirely serious when they charge you! The ones around Big Bend certainly have no fear whatsoever, having been around people so long.

Yep...People = food! They even have steel boxes to keep your food in while camping! Those weren't there 30 years ago, as I recall.

[Poncho_NM]

I caught the tail end of a TV news segment yesterday regarding an animal attack of a five year old last year in Bernalillo County. They were not initially sure if it was a bobcat or mountain lion. Here is the TV news report which is worth watching:





Rich

[BrianH]

Thats crazy.
We dont get New Mexico news here and didnt hear about this.

[BlackShoe]

In the Southwest,bobcats are double the weight of a domestic cat and their paws,claws,and teeth are three times as large.Females average around 7 kilos(16 lb.) and toms 10 kg (22 lb.).They are far more aggresive and better fighters pound for pound than a housecat.That coyote that killed and ate your neighbors cat would get taken apart if it foolishly tried to predate on an adult bobcat.Large toms have been known to take adult pronghorns and small deer.All this said,bobcats pose very little threat to humans,and try to avoid them.The major exception is a rabid bobcat.A month ago,in a widely publicised event,a rabid bobcat walked into a Cottonwood Arizona bar and mauled two men and created widespread panic.

[catman]

I suggest that everyone just leaves them alone, other than taking photos from long distance and observing them through binoculars. They are such beautiful animals and want to be left alone.