A teenage boy and his father were attacked by a bobcat in their backyard. The unfortunate incident that occurred in Maine on Wednesday, May 2, left the teenager wounded also in need to be tested for rabies.
Bobcat Attack
Bobcats are North American cats that are adaptable predators. Bobcats usually reside in wooded areas, swampland environments, forest and urban edge. The wildcat normally hunts various mammals and birds and rarely bother humans, but there have been incidents in the past where people were attacked by them.
The 17-year-old boy and his mother, Carolyn Plowden spotted the wild animal around 7:15 pm and in about ten minutes the animal appeared in their backyard.
According to the Press Herald, the boy, whose name is Justin, and his father John went outside together to confirm that the animal was not a lynx. They also kept an eye on it while John contacted the Maine Department of Inland to inform them of the situation and to get permission to shoot the animal. While Justin and his father tried to find out what they should do, the bobcat took three leaps and launched itself at Justin's face.
Carolyn recounted that the animal bit her son's face. As John tried to pull the bobcat off of his son, it clawed Justin's back and shoulder. The bobcat then clawed John's arm and punctured it. The animal ran off as the Plowden's neighbor tried to shoot at it.
Both John and Justin were immediately treated at the hospital and had to receive multiple rabies shots. Justin had to get four rabies shots in the face. Carolyn stated that the bobcat didn't seem to be "right" in the mind prior to the attack.
"It just did weird things like jumped up on a folded-up tarp and started biting it. It tried to walk up the steps of the porch, then walked over to the barn and in the barn kind of rolled around and purred," Carolyn stated.
The Dangers Of Bobcats
Bobcats can live near a human population which typically isn't a problem, however, they can prey on pets when left unattended. If a person should ever come in contact with the animal, it is urgent that the person seek medical attention if they get attacked by it.
Bobcats are usually never aggressive towards humans but all humans should keep a safe distance from these wild creatures.
