Bobcats photographed in Grand Park, Frisco, Texas.
Bobcat – Frisco’s Grand Park
DFW Urban Wildlife
Documenting the Diversity of Dallas/Fort Worth Urban Wildlife Since 2005
Documenting the Diversity of Dallas/Fort Worth Urban Wildlife Since 2005
Bobcats photographed in Grand Park, Frisco, Texas.
I can easily see how someone viewing the rear quarter of a bobcat, as seen in the second photo, might mistake it for a mountain lion, ocelot or jaguarundi.
Full disclosure… and Ben already knows about this… I conducted the wildlife survey of Grand Park because I received a report of a Mountain Lion sighting in the vicinity. Over the course of 5 weeks I investigated the area thoroughly, but I found no evidence of a Mountain Lion.
What Ben is noticing here is that Bobcats can sometimes pose themselves in ways that can make their exact size and shape difficult to ascertain. The typical fleeting glimpses of these animals only increase the likelihood of a misidentification.
To complicate matters more, Coyotes can have very short coats during certain times of the year, which may make them look slightly more feline under certain circumstances. At least one of the Coyotes I photographed in Grand Park has fur like this. Another opportunity for a misidentification.
All that being said, I take all credible Mountain Lion sightings reports in the DFW area very seriously. I make every effort to investigate them thoroughly.
I’m still working to document a Cougar here in the DFW area, but luckily checking out a Mountain Lion report often leads to the collection of an abundance of evidence of many other types of urban wildlife as a side benefit!