WATCH ABOVE: There seems to be no lack of bobcat sightings in Calgary, with the latest cat prowling, here’s Tony Tighe.
CALGARY – A bobcat was spotted in southwest Calgary Wednesday evening, prompting neighbours to alert each other to the wild cats.
A Global News viewer sent in the photos, which were taken in an alley between 105 Avenue and 106 Avenue S.W. near Southhampton Drive.
The viewer said the cat didn’t appear to be afraid of the photographer, and walked near a camper where a resident was working.
The sighting comes just over a week after a family of bobcats were spotted in a nearby southwest neighbourhood, where residents said a mother cat and three kittens were wandering through their yards all summer.
READ MORE: Bobcats at front door of southwest Calgary home spur concern for pets, kids
Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Brendan Cox said Thursday the Calgary office had been receiving calls about bobcats “on a regular basis” but it would be hard to tell if these are the same cats.
“Bobcats are not considered a public safety concern,” he said in an email to Global News. “It is also rare for them to attack pets unless chased or threatened, but it is prudent to take precautions. While they have adapted to living in urban communities, they are still easily intimidated and scared away, like with a hose for example.”
Instead of removal, Fish and Wildlife said they like to educate homeowners on how to prevent attracting the cats or scaring them away. The department offers the following tips:
- Large trees attract squirrels, which in turn attract bobcats;
- Remove birdfeeders from your property as they attract the smaller mammals that bobcats prey on;
- Close off any open spaces underneath your shed, deck, stairs or anywhere else that might provide shelter for a bobcat;
- Motion-activated lights may help scare bobcats away at night;
- Keep smaller pets indoors or watch them closely when outside;
- Keep pets on a leash when walking them;
- Feed your pets inside;
- Put your garbage out the morning of pickup, not the night before.
“There are also deterrents available like motion-sensing garden sprayers, ultra-sonic sound devices and radios (talk radio more effective than music),” said Cox.
Anyone with concerns can phone the Calgary District Fish and Wildlife office during business hours at 403 297-6423 and ask to speak with an officer.
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