Are Bobcats on the Rise in Wallingford?

Last week, Mary Bush of Wallingford spotted a bobcat in her backyard. Bush, a photographer who lives on Scard Road near the Mackenzie Reservoir, immediately grabbed her camera and started snapping photos.

Wildlife experts say daytime sightings of bobcats are rare. The nocturnal animals are most active right after dusk and right before dawn. They tend to stay hidden during daylight hours.

Bush’s recent sighting may be a result of a rise in the bobcat population in the area, according to Paul Rego, a spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). The regrowth of forests in the region has improved the animal’s habitat, he added.

Bobcat attacks on humans are rare, Rego said. Nevertheless, caution should be used whenever encountering a wild cat, advises Wallingford Animal Control Officer Lisa Scyler.

Read more about the recent sighting in this story in the New Haven Register.