Seeing a bobcat is rare, getting glamour shots is an even bigger treat

HALIFAX – Catching a glimpse of a bobcat in Nova Scotia is quite unique, so imagine being able to be get video of one walking along the side of the road from just 20 feet away.

That’s just what videographer Cory McGraw caught on camera this week in Nine Mile River.

Bobcats are not uncommon in the province, but the mammals are rarely spotted and there is hardly ever video taken of them.

“Seeing a cat up that close is a bit on the unusual side,” said Andrew Hebda, zoologist with the Nova Scotia Museum.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Seeing a cat up that close is a bit on the unusual side," said Andrew Hebda, zoologist with the Nova Scotia Museum.

Unlike the lynx, bobcats aren’t endangered, but Hebda says the mammals are sly and very rarely spotted. Making an encounter like the one we had even more memorable.

“You can see it was concentrated on feed but it knew you were there, it was staring right at you and poking out at you from beyond the grass so that shows you that animal has not been habituated to people,” Hebda told Global News.

The Department of Natural Resources records all bobcat sightings in the province.

“Some years, it’s as low as 10. The last two, it was around 20,” said Michael Boudreau, Human-Wildlife Conflict Biologist with DNR.

Boudreau says seeing a bobcat out in broad daylight is a little unusual.

“They don’t typically like to be around people, so when there’s a lot of activity they’ll kind of stay in the shadows or use low activity to go and use that same area.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They don't typically like to be around people, so when there's a lot of activity they'll kind of stay in the shadows or use low activity to go and use that same area."

There are only about 20 recorded sightings of bobcats in Nova Scotia annually, most of which occur during February and March.

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WATCH: Rare, up-close footage of a bobcat prowling in tall grass near Nine Mile River in Nova Scotia.

It’s believed the bobcat in this video is young and may have been searching for food.

Last year’s harsh winter was devastating for bobcats and other predators. Hope for Wildlife took in eight starving bobcats suffering in the harsh conditions, something they have never seen before.

They say it’s too soon to see how this winter will be for the cats.