The sighting of a bobcat in the northwest community of Brentwood surprised Shannon Zaba, who spotted the animal outside her window this week.
Zaba said the feline proceeded to cross her driveway and pounce into the hedges before it came out with a rabbit.
It is not the first time bobcats have been spotted in Calgary — there have been several sightings near Confederation Park, Silver Springs and Oakridge.
WATCH: Some curious creatures continue to pop up in and around Calgary. As Jenna Freeman reports, more and more bobcats are calling the city home
According to Andrea Hunt, executive director of the Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, the bobcats aren’t generally a threat to public safety if you give them proper space.
She encouraged anyone with concerns or questions to contact their hotline at (403) 239-2488.
“As long as they give those animals a wide berth and they make sure they’re not feeding them it’s actually interesting to have that species in their backyard, ” explained Hunt. “In the city there’s over 400 species of wild animals that live here and we share this space with wildlife.”
Zaba said after watching the cat attack the rabbit, she wasn’t so sure.
“We’re on the greenspace out back, so it kind of makes me think could it have come into the backyard — is it watching?”
Escuela St. Margaret Elementary and Junior High School has gone as far as to send a letter out to parents following sightings of a mother bobcat and her kittens.
The letter reads in part: “Staff members will review with students safety procedures in the unlikely event they encounter wild animals. We will also increase our supervision and continue to monitor the school grounds in the coming days to ensure student safety.”
Anyone who spots a bobcat can call Alberta Fish and Wildlife but the animals will not be removed unless they are deemed a risk to the public.
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