DC Bobcat Spotted, Search Narrows to 2 Neighborhoods Near Zoo

WASHINGTON, DC — The National Zoo has received calls from tipsters who have spotted Ollie, a 25-pound bobcat that escaped from the National Zoo on Monday, and officials have narrowed the search to the Woodley Park and Cleveland Park neighborhoods near the zoo.

Ollie went missing from her enclosure on Monday morning. Zoo staff noticed that she wasn't around during the normal feeding, and a search of her enclosure turned up nothing. A team from the zoo and the Humane Rescue Alliance headed out Tuesday to those neighborhoods after getting a report that Ollie had been spotted there. They will try to catch her with a blanket, and have set up some traps as well.

Officials are concerned that if they don't catch her soon, she will disappear forever in Rock Creek Park. The zoo asks anyone who sees her to call 202-633-7362.

Ollie was last seen at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, and was first noticed as missing about three hours later during feeding time. Staff alerted local police and animal control of her escape, and shut down a portion of the great cats area so that activity from people wouldn't prevent the bobcat from returning to the enclosure for food and shelter.

Ollie is not considered a threat to people, and is easily spooked, which is what makes her so difficult to find.

Image via National Zoo