Syracuse.com - DEC investigated case of a rabid bobcat in Tioga County

[HuntingNY-News]

Bobcats are usually illusive animals and many Central New York residents have never seen one.

State Department of Environmental Conservation officials recently investigated an incident involving a rabid bobcat in the town of Nichols in Tioga County.

According to Linda Vera, a DEC spokeswoman, the DEC was first made aware of the situation on July 25. On the previous day, Darryl Seward, 65, was reportedly bitten by the animal.

The next day, Vera said, the animal attacked a dog owned by Douglas Cornell, 51, and Cornell ended up shooting and killing the bobcat.

Vera said an environmental conservation officer was called to the scene and confiscated the carcass. DEC staff made arrangements "to have the animal tested by our Wildlife Health Program partners at Cornell University's Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory. In addition to testing for rabies, Wildlife Health Program staff typically conduct a full analysis of the specimen."

In addition to testing positive for rabies, the bobcat had "several porcupine quills protruding from the face," Vera said.

Bobcats are usually illusive animals and many Central New York residents have never seen one.

According to the DEC website, bobcats are about twice the sized of a domestic cat and usually smaller than the Canadian lynx. "Their fur is dense, short, and soft and is generally shorter and more reddish in the summer and longer and more gray in the winter. Spotting occurs in some bobcats and is faded in others. The face has notable long hairs along the cheeks and black tufts at the tops of each ear," the website said.

On the average, the males are roughly one-third larger than the females and both sexes can weigh more than 30 pounds.

Vera said although reports of rabid bobcats are rare, a handful of such cases have been reported to Region 7. Based on all available information, the bobcat population "is healthy and expanding" in Region 7.

Late last year, the DEC completed a 5-year, statewide bobcat management plan. The plan provides "direction and oversight for sustaining or enhancing the abundance of utilization of bobcats throughout the state. The plan calls for continued trapping and hunting of bobcats, and proposes new or expanded seasons in some areas, while also improving monitoring programs to ensure that the population remains at or above its current level in the state." For more, see dec.ny.gov.

Although reports of rabid bobcats are rare, a handful of such cases have been reported to Region 7, Vera said. Based on all available information, the bobcat population is "healthy and expanding" in Region 7.

As for rabid animals, Vera said indicators include "unusual aggressiveness or tameness. Excessive drooling (foaming at the mouth) or dragging the hind legs or other mobility problems."

Vera recommended staying away from "any animal that's acting strangely, and let your neighbors know about its presence in the area.

"Sometimes your local police will come out and shoot the animal. However, even a sick animal will often wander off by the time outside help can get there," she said. "We do not recommend approaching the animal with a baseball bat or other club because that would require close contact."

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog