Bobcat sighting alerts Tortosa resident to possible danger

Sightings of skunks, raccoons, snakes and coyotes may not be an unusual day for many residents of Maricopa. How about a bobcat sighting?

Maricopa resident Jessica Conen said she first spotted such a creature on Sept. 16.

“My family was at the little playground in the middle of the Shea side of Tortosa,” Conen said. “I saw it from the picnic table only very briefly as it casually strolled down into a grassy dip on the other side of the street. I made my husband ride his bike over there to see/confirm that it was in fact a bobcat, but it was gone.”

Conen said she and her husband looked into the drain and another pipe in the area and didn’t see it. Then this past weekend (Sunday night), Conen said she was running and as she approached the grassy dip area, she spotted the creature again. “It was just sitting there,” Conen said. “When I got closer, it just turned and went into the pipe. It wasn’t aggressive or anything.”

Asked to describe the bobcat, Conen said it was tan/dark brown, lighter in the back. “The second encounter was just after dusk, and I only saw the shape and size,” Conen said. “It was probably only about 2.5 feet long.”

Conen said she contacted the local animal control office and left a message. “They called back and said I needed to call the fish and game office,” Conen said. “I called fish and game; they told me they just take note of calls; however, they get many calls regarding bobcats and coyotes. Conen said the office told her that bobcats are not normally a big threat and that the best response is to just throw stones at it, make loud noises and generally make it feel unwelcome.

“After being a little more persistent about the fact that it is so close to a playground, I got a number for a biologist that may be able to give me more information and, if the animal becomes aggressive, possibly relocate it,” Conen said.

Trying to find help, Conen said she called the general number for the City of Maricopa.

“The girl on the phone suggested calling animal control,” Conen said. “After telling her I did, she put me on hold a few times, then finally said there isn’t anything the city can do, sorry, and good luck.”

Conen noted that seeing the bobcat did startle her to a degree.

“My friends in Rancho have had a few rattler run-ins, and we have seen a giant frog and some jack rabbits but that is about it,” Conen said. “I was a little startled, but I used to live in the Cuyamaca Mountains and had a local mountain lion slink by the house a few times.”

According to Conen, with the recent bobcat sightings, her motherly instincts kicked in.

“Even if it isn’t ‘normally’ aggressive as the fish and game person stated, my two-year-old may appear to be more like a snack than an adult that could possibly scare it by yelling and throwing stones,” Conen added.