Possible Bobcat Sighting In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — A large animal resembling a bobcat was spotted near Westover Road and Highline Trail in Stamford earlier this week.

After Stamford resident Jeanne Barry noticed a mauled deer near her home on Jan. 12, she checked her security cameras and noticed the feline-like animal in the area on the night of Jan. 11.

She told Patch the animal was in the area for a little over two hours.

According to officer Tilford Cobb, the manager of Stamford Animal Control and Care, the city hasn't traditionally had many bobcat sightings, although there have been more over the past year.

Cobb said it's hard to pinpoint why, but it could be a combination of more people staying home and off the roads because of the pandemic, and just because animal populations are growing.

"We have more coyotes, more bobcats, more everything," he said.

Cobb noted that bobcats tend to stay away from humans and don't normally pose a threat.

"If you do happen to run into a bobcat, you want to do the same thing you do with a coyote. You want to haze them. You want to make sure that they're afraid of you," Cobb said. "Make yourself look larger, make some noise, yell at them and throw something in their direction if they don't back away"

He said if you're out walking your dog, make sure its on a leash.

Reporting wild animal sightings to Stamford Animal Control are only necessary if there's a problem or disturbance, Cobb said.

However, the state of Connecticut requests bobcat sightings as a way to keep track of the population.

According to the CT Department of Energy and Wildlife Protection, the bobcat population has recovered from near local extinction since 1972 due to improving forest habitat conditions and legal protections.

CT-DEEP noted that by 1825, only 25 percent of Connecticut was forested due to deforestation from agricultural activities and other uses of timber. Today, nearly 60 percent of Connecticut is covered in forest, and bobcats are regularly seen throughout the state.

There have been 156 bobcat sightings in Connecticut so far in 2022, according to the state's tracker

To learn more about bobcats in Connecticut or to report a sighting to the state, click here.