Attached are 2 pictures I took from my apartment balcony in Plano Texas in Apr 2010. My balcony overlooks the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. My wife and I were sitting outside enjoying the end of the day when we noticed that several crows were very excited about something not too far away from us. As luck would have it, this young bobcat scrambled up the tree apparently trying to escape the crows. He ended up directly in from of our second-story view. I hurried back into the apartment to grab a camera and took several pictures, the best two of which I attached here. The cat remained "treed" for about 20-25 minutes until the crows moved on to something else. You can see that the cat was close enough to capture the light from my camera's flash.
I came across your blog tonight concerning the large black cat in Plano and I have it admit, I am skeptical. I did however, want to assure you that the bobcat population in Plano is alive and well around here. I jog the park frequently and have ran into several others that have seen the cats in the park. I work at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano which is just one mile away & we frequently see bobcats behind the hospital & have even seen a mother with kittens.!!!
Good times in Plano Texas.
These terrific photos of a young bobcat go to show that big cats can and do make the Metroplex area their home. Certainly there is a big difference between a population of bobcats and a population of cougars. Keep in mind, however, that if there are enough resources to support these bobcats it is not unreasonable to assume that a small population of larger cats could make a living in the area as well. The reader who sent me these photos remains skeptical of panther sightings and that is ok. Skepticism is not a bad thing. There is a world of difference between being skeptical and being closed-minded. I, myself, am a big believer in the "where there is smoke there is fire" way of thinking. Big cats continue to be reported in this area. While some people are, no doubt, misidentifying bobcats as panthers, the reports of cats with tails almost as long as their bodies, some being jet black in color, don't jibe with the theory that everyone is seeing bobcats.
The Plano area continues to be a real hot spot for big cat sightings. Bobcats, cougars, and black panthers continue to be reported on a fairly regular basis. I have a backlog of reports that I need to put up on the site regarding these sightings. Please keep me informed if you happen to see a big cat of any kind in an area where they officially do not exist.
Keep those cameras handy as well...
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Bobcats are very alive and well in the Dallas Ft. Worth and surrounding cities. With new construction over the last decades into once fertile farmland, new cities just a stones throw from Dallas report frequent sightings of these large cats. On a drive at night in East Dallas a few years ago I spotted a coyote crossing Buckner road near White Rock Lake. I then set out game cameras and captured one looking over a log. Wild animals have to survive with humans encroachment into their homes, when seeing these wild animals in the city limits I feel honored but also sad that their time may be fleeting from scared folk who pressure their local officials to trap or kill these animals left with few wild areas to roam free.
ReplyDeleteChris
Dallas, Texas
There is a family of bobcats in my area in Plano around Bethany Elementary. Many people have seen them. I have small dogs that I am worried about. I hope that since there are 3 of them in the backyard, that it would scare off the bobcats but I am also afraid that they may think it is a buffet.
ReplyDeleteI have seen bobcats up near Ohio and Legacy in Plano but I saw either deer or feral hog tracks at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve today. They look similar but I think they were feral hog Deer tracks are more pointed at one end. I did see what I think were deer tracks there last winter though. Must have followed the creek in.
ReplyDeleteI saw what I think was a bobcat at Messina and Lorimar Drive in Plano. This is close to Parker and Ohio. I was in my car and thought it was a dog until I got closer and then followed it for a block. It was a very large but thin cat.
ReplyDeleteI have seen several Bobcats at San Simeon Way next to the walking trail. This morning 2 bobcats were sitting on someones front porch.
ReplyDeleteJust saw a beautiful cat and I know it is not a house cat. It comes by our house near San Simeon frequently...I see him in the same place each time. He/or she looks like he has a collar around his neck. Something much darker than his coat and appears to hang somewhat loose as a collar would. It is a beautiful cat with stripes and very long legs. I believe it is a bobcat.
ReplyDeleteI am not a wild life expert but from internet research I think what I saw in Katy, TX today were bobcats. I saw two cubs in the morning on a trail near a bayou between TX99 and Peek Rd-- north of Fry Rd. They were of size of ordinary cats, brwon color with black dots. I thought they may be just house cats. But later around noon I saw a much bigger cat with the same color and dots and long tail. It was bigger than a full grown German Shepherd. It was standing in my way when I was biking on the trail! I stopped. We stared at each other. Finally, it went away in the bushes galopping like a leopard.
ReplyDeleteWe had a bobcat on our front walk yesterday morning on Skipwith Drive in Plano. I also saw a baby and mother under the bridge at Independence and San Simeon Way 2 weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteI have seen them there several times as well.
DeleteI've seen several in my neighborhood near Ohio and Hedgcoxe. I even saw one in the Bank of America parking lot at 121 and Coit. It walked through the parking lot and laid down in the flower bed just outside the bank. It was at night, so not many people around.
ReplyDeletejust saw a 3-4 foot long big cat in our yard in Parker. At first thought it was a Bobcat, but it had much darker spotting and a longer tail.
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