Southern Indiana Couple Surprised by Bobcat Visitor in Their Backyard

Wild animals roaming around southern Indiana isn't that big of a deal. Spotting deer in a field, or a squirrel darting around your yard is a relatively common occurrence. I've even had a fox cross in the road in front of me on my way to work in Evansville from my home in Newburgh. What I have not seen is a bobcat, but they're out there as one Warrick County resident proved after capturing on her trail cam what I think was a pretty good-sized one roaming across her backyard.

That resident happens to be one of my Mom's first cousins. Which makes her and I second cousins or first cousins once removed or something like that. We're related. That much I know. Anyway, the point is that she recently shared the video from a trail cam she and her husband set up behind their house that captured a bobcat just strolling by doing its thing. Admittedly, I don't know much about bobcats other than that if you see one, you should avoid it because they can be vicious. According to the Smithsonian National Zoo, they can grow between one-and-a-half to two feet tall at the shoulders and weigh between nine and 33 pounds. Maybe it's just me, but I think this one looked much bigger than that.

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Also, when I think of a bobcat's habitat, I think of wooded areas and forests. While my cousin and her husband's house does sit off the road a bit and is surrounded by woods, it's maybe only a quarter-mile (if that) away from a pretty busy area of the western Warrick County town they live in that features a number of restaurants and other businesses. Plus, there are other houses around them. That's why I found the video to be so fascinating. I've always thought bobcats and other wild animals preferred to stay away from all the noise.

While my cousin was nice enough to say yes when I asked her if I could share the video with you, the privacy settings on it are set to friends only, so I can embed it here. However, what I can do is share a few screenshots that give you a good look at this big cat.

Maybe it was the wide-angle lens and the fact it was so close, but that looks like a good-sized bobcat to me. It's definitely one I would slowly back away from if I saw it coming toward me in the woods. While it was a pretty incredible sight to see, I imagine my cousin and her husband hope they don't see it again.

[Sources: Smithsonian National Zoo]