Got Bobcats? Sighting in Rye Brook
Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are rarely seen in the wild due to their secretive behavior but at least one has wandered into nearby Rye Brook. Rye Brook PD is reported “what appears to be multiple “Bobcats” in the area of Rockinghorse Trail/Country Ridge Dr.” on Sunday (see a map of the location).
“We have not had any complaints here,” said the City of Rye Public Safety Commissioner Mike Kopy on Monday afternoon. “But that could change because they [bobcats] move large distances.” Residents who were living in Rye back in June 2010, will remember when Rye was tossed into the national media spotlight for two bizarre and rare incidents where coyotes jumped on children. A trapper was called into the city and at least some of the Rye coyotes were relocated.
Residents should “use the same caution as they would for a coyote,” said Kopy. “Make sure they are aware of their surroundings and make sure they protect their smaller dogs and cats. And if they see [a bobcat] certainly dial the police department. We’ll send somebody to take a look at it, but most likely it will go back into a wooded area.”
Kopy asks residents to call the PD desk on (914) 967-1234 and not 911 for an animal sighting.
The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a North American member of the cat family Felidae, ranging from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the species is found throughout most of New York State, except for Long Island. They are defined as a protected, small game species.
Bobcats are solitary animals and may be active at any time, day or night. Males have larger home ranges than females, and they travel greater distances on a daily basis. The DEC reports the average home range of a male in the Adirondacks is 136 square miles. The average female home range is 33 square miles. In the Catskills, the average male home range is 14 square miles, while the female average is 12 square miles. Downstate data is not available.
Bobcats are about twice the size of a domestic cat. Bobcats were unprotected in New York until the Legislature gave DEC the authority to set open seasons in 1976.
