Two Calgarians posted videos to the city’s subreddit after they spotted bobcats strolling through residential neighbourhoods, adding allure and mystery to the compelling creature. But one expert says there’s a shift in bobcat’s behaviour who are no longer their characteristic “shy” and “elusive.”
Bobcats, which are about three times the size of a house cat, don’t usually thrive in occupied or dense areas. But one expert tells Yahoo Canada that an increase in prey and bobcat-friendly food is changing this.
In both videos, the cats don’t appear to be perturbed by the presence of the humans filming them or living in the houses they’re strolling by.
Users posted videos of bobcats spotted in Calgary suburbs.
Sightings of elusive animal double in Calgary
Colleen Cassady St. Clair is a professor of biological sciences at University of Alberta. She says that bobcats are a natural part of the fauna in Alberta, but they also can be found in the southern parts of most provinces, stretching from B.C. all the way to Nova Scotia.
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They are adaptable and live in a range of habitat, from dry, rugged regions to young forest or shrublands where birds, small mammals, and reptiles are abundant. As bobcats are strictly carnivorous, these types of creatures are perfect for them to feed on.
Sightings of the creature in Calgary have skyrocketed in recent years. Since 2018, the average of about 1,000 sightings a year has doubled to 2,000 a year as of January 2024 according to the City of Calgary.
“They’re rare in comparison to seeing a squirrel but the reports are becoming almost as common as coyotes,” St. Clair tells Yahoo Canada. “Their reputation is that they’re an elusive, shy species and they’re not acting like it at all in Calgary.”
Their reputation is that they’re an elusive, shy species and they’re not acting like it at all in Calgary.
Bobcats in Calgary: ‘They’re finding lots of prey’
St. Clair suspects the reason the population is increasing in Calgary is because the animals are successfully reproducing and habituating to humans and human infrastructure. St. Clair adds there’s plenty for the big cats to feed on.
“They’re finding lots of prey. Under natural circumstances, bobcats would prey on smaller animals like hares,” she says. “In Edmonton and Calgary, there’s [been] an increase in domestic rabbits. Grey squirrels are also expanding their range across North America.”
St. Clair suspects that bobcats could also be attracted to any cat food that’s left out in residential neighbourhoods for feral cats.
“Bobcats are obligate carnivores,” she says. “They don’t eat a range of things like dogs do. They only eat meat under normal conditions. Their evolved diet is purely prey, and cat food emulates that.”
While bobcats are capable of preying on cats and small dogs, St. Clair says there haven’t been any reports of that kind of conflict, which could be one of the reasons that sightings are increasing in Calgary.
“Maybe they prefer these other sources of food and prey,” she says.
Expert warns: ‘Enjoy them from a distance. Don’t try to tame them’
St. Clair strongly discourages anyone from feeding them as “it always ends badly for wildlife and usually for people too.”
Bobcats do present a risk to pets and humans since they”re susceptible to toxoplasmosis, an infectious disease that’s carried and transmitted by cats through infected feces.
If you do happen to cross paths with a bobcat, St. Clair says the animal should be reported so municipalities can have a handle of how many there are.
“We should be more cautious about inviting wildlife into where we live, like our backyard,” she says. “Enjoy them from a distance. Don’t try to tame them.”
