A reader with a sharp-eyed outdoor video camera sent us a clip of what sure looks like a bobcat sauntering through her yard in a heavily wooded area of South Natick, on the Sherborn line.
Bobcat sightings are nothing new in the deep recesses of South Natick. Police have been fielding calls about the shy carnivores for at least the past several years.
Natick Animal Control Officer Keith Tosi says that there are several bobcats living in Natick. “I have witnessed one on one occasion,” he said in an email. “Unfortunately the poor fellow got hit by a car on Route 27 on the Sherborn line.”
Tosi says that residents do send in video and pictures of bobcats roaming. “They seem to be minding their own business and doing their thing, which is great.”
The Natick Bobcat, as he is called on a twitter account set up by a fan, is currently known as the “Aggressively socially distant handsome fellow from S. Natick.”
The handsome fellow was probably on the prowl for a small-game meal of mice, rats, squirrels, chickens, small fawns, wild birds, or rabbits. He would also happily snag a cat or small dog if one happened along, so pet owners should take appropriate precautions.
As for what bobcats should watch out for, besides humans driving on Route 27, coyotes are likely their major concern in this area. Those big fellas might try to take down a 20-lb. adult bobcat, but would be even more interested in the easier meal of a bobcat cub in spring.
It’s a wild world out there in South Natick.
