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Wild bobcats removed from Frisco: City states animals aren't a threat to residents
The most recent bobcat captured by Cliff Moore will be relocated to land dedicated for wildlife usage. Photo courtesy of Cliff Moore.
By Anthony Tosie, atosie@starlocalnews.com
A large city like Frisco may not seem like it'd be home to bobcats, but it is.
Recently, Cliff Moore, president of Animal Services, Inc., captured eight bobcats in a single Frisco backyard during a four-month span. Moore says he expects to capture more bobcats in the city before the end of the year, too.
"As Frisco builds out, these animals are just getting squashed," Moore said. "When we get eight bobcats out of a single backyard, it's time we raise the awareness in the public eye. We need to manage our wildlife -- that's the bottom line. They're going to breed every single year."
While Moore believes it's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt from a wild bobcat, city officials disagree.
Greg Carr, the city's animal control administrator, said he's not aware of a single instance in the entire United States where a bobcat has attacked a human unprovoked.
"We encourage people to give us a call so we know where they are, but we haven't had any problems where they've been a menace to pets or children," he said. "They're in the area, but they typically keep to themselves and hunt things like rabbits."
Carr said that the animals are native to the city, but they are typically only in the area from about March to September.
Residents who see bobcats are cautioned to make themselves known but to keep their distance from the animals. Carr said the city hasn't seen any threat from bobcats, but it's best to leave them alone.
"If they're being aggressive -- and we haven't had any fit that bill yet -- then we determine, based on what they're doing, how to take care of them," Carr said. "We try and trap them and relocate them. The problem with bobcats is they have a real big range. Unless they're going to a certain spot, it's hard to trap them."
Moore disagreed with the city's stance and said bobcats need to be relocated to help both the animals and residents.
"I don't want anybody scared, but I do want people to seek our help," Moore said. "We're now at a critical point on the number of predators we have in this fast-growing city. It's just a matter of time before something bad is going to happen to one of the animals, one of our pets, or, worst case, one of our children or one of our people."
When Moore's group captures bobcats and other wild animals in Frisco, it prepares them for release in the wild.
Moore works with individuals who donate land where animals can be released, and his biggest area of land to release animals is 36,000 contiguous acres, he said.
"I'm not scared of these bobcats, but some people are," Moore said. "That's the biggest issue. We need to relocate these animals humanely, because the babies born to the bobcats have no future in this city. They'll be hit by a car or something like that."
Residents interested in having Moore relocate wild bobcats can call 1-800-700-1311. To report a bobcat sighting or request the city's help, Frisco's animal control services can be reached at 972-292-5303.
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Bobcats eat rats and rabbits as their primary diet. Without them balancing these populations, you will see an overrun of unsanitary conditions. Rats or cats, take your pick!
Bobcats are migratory & solitary and claim about 5 miles of territory at a time. When you remove one, another will simply take its place (as noted in this article of multiple trappings in the same area over a 4 month period). The kittens stay with their mom long enough to learn how to survive, then the go their own solitary way.
Our building encroachment confuses wilds of all kind. The animals, especially predators, wander into a "new development" and think "dang! This is where I caught a meal last time I was here!" Give them a few generations and they will move away from us.
If your know you have bobcats in you area (and the news always makes sure you do!) be sensible with your pets & garbage. Altering your routine is much easier than trapping and killing the animals till they develop a new hunting route. Removing the meal offered (your pet left outside unattended) means the cat will go elsewhere.
Our filth causes rat populations to flourish. Rats bring big cats. WE are THEIR problem. Clean up how WE interface with our planet, and nature will balance the predators accordingly.
If you see a bobcat, be big and bold and it will scatter. They are terrified of you, as the photo in this article shows. The only bobcat that will allow itself to be approached by a human is sick or injured and you need to call animal control. "