Predator caught in Florida chicken coop didn’t look normal, photos show. What is it?
If a house cat and a coyote mated, the end result was found in a Florida chicken coop, photos show.
The mysterious predator showed up around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, at a home in Cocoa, where it slipped into an empty chicken coop and got trapped when the owner slammed the door.
Animal rescuer Diane Wyman with the nonprofit Wild Florida Rescue arrived not long after and confirmed the property owner caught a bobcat ... sort of.
It was about half the normal size of a bobcat, missing the gorgeous stripes and spots displayed by the species, and there was something odd about its eyes.
“He did not want to let the cat out (of the coop) because he felt it was sick,” Wild Florida Rescue staff told McClatchy News. “The cat appeared very thin, weak, dehydrated, and full of mange. She did not look well.”
Turns out the coop was more a fortress than a trap, and the bobcat was not of a mind to leave. That meant the rescuer and property owner had to get creative, leading to them loosening boards and going at the cat from underneath. It worked and nobody got hurt, including the bobcat.
It is now under the care of animal rehab expert Dale Craig and veterinarian Donna Craig, who is treating the cat for mange and malnutrition. The bobcat weighs only 7.5 pounds. The average for bobcats is between 13 and 35 pounds, experts say.
Bobcats are native to Florida, and are known for being wary of humans and highly nocturnal.
“Because of the mange, it appears she can’t see well. ... She was looking for easy prey in the coop and even so, she wasn’t doing well at getting any. No chickens had been harmed,” the rescue agency said.
“She is not out of the woods yet. ... She has got some fight and spirit in her and that’s what’s keeping her going so far, so that’s being nurtured.”
If the bobcat survives, she’ll be released in the Cocoa area, “just not anywhere near the coop!” the agency said.
Cocoa is about a 50-mile drive southeast from Orlando.
This story was originally published November 18, 2024 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Predator caught in Florida chicken coop didn’t look normal, photos show. What is it?."