Arizona Man Shoots Rabid Bobcat After It Mauls His Dog, Charges His Wife
A man from Arizona was forced to shoot and kill a rabid bobcat last month after it made its way into his backyard, attacked his dog, then charged directly at his wife.
After the Aug. 29 encounter, wildlife authorities discovered that the bobcat was rabid during the incident, according to KSAZ-TV.
The homeowner said the wild animal entered his backyard and assaulted the family dog. After he heard noises, he went to investigate and found his pet bloodied on the back porch.
Instead of fleeing, the bobcat remained in the homeowner’s yard. It then began making threatening noises and growling sounds before setting its sights on his wife.
The man went back inside to retrieve his firearm and killed the beast soon after.
Given the bobcat’s violent behavior, he later reported the encounter to Arizona’s Game and Fish Department, asking them to pick up the animal’s body for examination.
Department spokeswoman Alexandra Flickinger said that officials took the animal to a laboratory for rabies testing, adding that “the results did come back positive.”
State health officers have taken note of this case, given how fatal rabies can be once a person becomes infected.
Arizona officials are now recommending that individuals “seek immediate medical attention if you are bitten or scratched by a bobcat.”
This isn’t the first time a rabid bobcat has grabbed headlines this year.
In May, a German Shepherd saved the life of its Arizona owner after a rabid bobcat attacked her while she was taking a walk around her local neighborhood, WWNY-TV reported.
“This cat came at me and jumped me, and I thought it was a coyote because we don’t have bobcats around here,” the owner recalled. “And so, I pushed it away, and it came right back.”
The bobcat managed to scratch her arm before turning to attack Moses, her 6-year-old Shepherd.
“I was afraid. I kept saying, ‘Go, go, go, go,’ to Moses. I was wanting him to get away, but when I got back, he had killed a bobcat,” she explained.
Moses bravely stood his ground and broke the bobcat’s neck in the owner’s driveway.
“He did what dogs, German Shepherds do,” she added. “He’s the hero of the day.”
Wildlife officials who responded to the attack tested the bobcat for rabies and got a positive result.
Arizona Game and Fish Department spokesman Michael Colaianni said at the time that if bobcats approach humans, and get close to them, they’re more than likely rabid.
“Bobcats are cats. They have ‘cat’ in their name. They’re pretty skittish. They don’t like people,” he explained.
“They want to stay as far away from people as possible. So, when these situations happen and a bobcat is indeed being aggressive towards humans or pets, it almost always means that they’re going to test positive for rabies.”
Moses had his rabies shot but was forced into quarantine for 90 days after his heroic act, while the owner was medically treated and declared to be in good health.
“Yeah, he’s an amazing dog, and he’s also very sweet,” she said of Moses.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office reported three other bobcat attacks within the area over a 48-hour period.
Despite the recent cases, Colaianni maintained that these instances remain rare.
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