The Circle of Life

A moment in the life of a wildcat

This post features insight into the daily life of a bobcat. In nature, animals work very hard to survive from day to day. The simple fact is that all animals need to eat to survive. I saw this wildcat in an undisclosed local park when two photographers pointed it out. It was walking through thick brush with some kind of prey in its mouth. I walked around to the other side of the vegetation and found an opening into which I could watch the bobcat. It was still soaking wet, after having leapt into a nearby pond to catch its prey. (FYI Wildcat and Bobcat are interchangeable terms.)

This large Bobcat soon crouched down. You can see a few feathers on the ground. The Bobcat, with its thick winter fur, is still soaking wet. He has crouched down to resume feeding.

The large size of this duck along with the brown breast feathers tells me this is, or was, a Northern Shoveler. At this point, the bird's wings were still flapping for a bit as the Wildcat methodically worked through its meal.

A close-up shows the huge black, shovel-shaped bill of the Northern Shoveler. The Wildcat has stripped the duck's neck of feathers and is holding the duck's head in its mouth.

After finishing much of its meal, the Bobcat stood up and looked to the side. The fur on its chin is damp and red!

The Wildcat resumed eating. It swallowed both of the duck's webbed feet. Nothing goes to waste in these situations. The cat got every bit of sustenance it could.

Finally, it was done eating and satiated.

The Wildcat stood up and stared at its distant audience. We were far back with both binoculars and/or cameras with long lenses. This Bobcat was a rather large male cat and it had a very full ruff- the feathers on the sides of its cheeks.

It turned and walked off into the brush once more. I walked around to the other side of the vegetation and found a little opening to see into the new spot where the cat had stopped to clean up and groom itself.

It continued to groom for several minutes, acting very much like a house-cat.

Finally, the bobcat wandered off deeper into the brush. I am certain it was looking for a quiet spot to nap.

For another look at this same wildcat, check out my friend Steve Kessel's Sonoran Images blog on his encounter with it.