Word travels fast in Easton.
When Verne Gay spotted a bobcat in his back yard on the corner of Sherwood Road and North Park Avenue, he warned a neighbor who spread the word to others in the area.
According to Gay, “A bobcat is an unusual sighting because bobcats (genus lynx rufus) are typically seen, if at all, just after sunset. The large male, approximately 40 pounds, walked up the middle of the street before crossing onto a lawn, then disappeared into the woods.
“Bobcats are active during the daylight hours in the winter because their prey is more active at that time. This bobcat was likely looking for rabbits, voles or birds. They are also territorial, which means this ‘cat has almost certainly been this way before, many times.”
He added, “Bobcats, incidentally, pose no danger to people although it is a good idea to keep pets — cats and small dogs — confined to your home in areas where bobcats are known to be active.”
Gay’s warning to neighbors elicited an additional response from Vivian Hardison, who said that two bears had been sighted on Everett Road recently.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division has information about bobcats and bears on its website and requests state residents to contribute sighting information for its studies.
