Wildlife Expert Reacts to Encounter with Rancho Bobcats: ‘They’re Getting Braver’

Donald McPherson of Rancho El Dorado had a surprising encounter on Friday.

“My puppy went wild when she chased that off my wall,” McPherson posted online, along with a photo of a bobcat.

“Be careful with your little ones,” McPherson warned. “The cat hung around for a while. Must be hungry.”

Further south in the province, another bobcat was spotted at Heavenly Place last summer. It went straight along the sidewalk before winding between two empty snowbird houses next to a pond.

Like domestic cats, bobcats pose no real threat to humans, but they have been known to kill small dogs and domestic cats if the opportunity arises. The same goes for coyotes.

Darren Julian, urban wildlife specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, said Maricopa homeowners with small pets should be vigilant when releasing their pets for their businesses.

When it comes to Maricopa wildlife sightings, Julian recommends reporting them to the AZGFD at 623-236-7201.

Julian said five wildlife sightings were reported in Maricopa last year: a bobcat, a coyote, a skunk, an unspecified bird (probably a nuisance cormorant) and a deer.

“As these animals become more comfortable, they become bolder,” Julian said, adding that he has heard reports of coyotes getting within a few feet of humans before trotting away.

They are wild, so it’s best not to mess with them except in a photo from a safe distance.

Julian said securing a yard’s fencing is also important for protecting your family’s fur baby from sneaky coyotes.

“Coyotes and bobcats figure out where people are concentrated, so the food source for them is greater,” he said.

Water sources such as ponds and irrigation attract wild birds and smaller rodents such as rabbits, which are common in many Maricopa neighborhoods, he said.

Irrigation creates more seeds and other food sources for prey like birds, which then attracts predators, he said.