A hunter in the Cleveland area had an encounter with a bobcat that is gaining the attention of the wildlife community.
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Corey Dearth submitted his footage to Summit Metro Parks after his sighting. Officials said that the bobcat had been caught on a Furnace Run Metro Park trail camera in February 2021, but never seen in person.
“Bobcats were nearly eliminated during our region’s agricultural and industrial heyday,” Metro Parks Chief of Conservation Mike Johnson said. “The return of this species signifies the improving health of our forest resources. Bobcats are harmless and will not attack or harm people. They generally do not even allow themselves to be seen!”
Dearth told Clevaland.com that he was taking part in a deer management program. The program is run by the park district and is aimed to help control the deer population in the area. He did not land a kill that day, but getting the shot of the bobcat made his day.
“I’ve seen pictures of bobcats but this is the first time I saw one in the wild,” he told the paper. “It was a really cool experience.”
Photo by Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash
