Alert — and cautious — “06880” reader Jeff Mitchell lives on Easton Road, bordering wetlands that abut North Avenue and stretch all the way to the Merritt Parkway.
Coyotes are now routine. He sees an occasional wolf, and at one point beavers lived in his brook.
In 25 years here though, he’d never seen a bobcat — until now. “That’s what happens when you don’t mow your lawn for 2 weeks,” he says.
A neighbor on Meadowview Drive South — the other side of Easton Road — said she saw the bobcat too. There’s a large field behind her house.
She saw it “within the last month,” so the bobcat seems to have made Westport home. Jeff hopes no one harms it.
He also saw raccoons in the area, another daytime rarity. He assumes the bobcat was hunting them.
(Photos/Jeff Mitchell)
While bobcats can be seen in Connecticut, they’re only in the far western areas (concentrated in the northwest).
Jeff notes that bobcats can leap 10 feet, and run 25 miles an hour. Wisely, he and his son Eli took this video from the safety of their deck:
Click here for everything you need to know about bobcats in Connecticut.
I saw a bobcat at our home in Weston two years ago! They are definitely around long term.
Stunning. And absolutely fascinating. Thanks for sharing this Jeff!
Pretty sure there are no wolves in CT, FYI – chris woods
I’ve seen my share of coyotes, and for sure it wasn’t one, or a dog. Unfortunately I was too stunned to take its picture. It was quite large and majestic. I later ID’d it as a gray wolf. Until you wrote this, I actually thought they were common, else I’d have reported seeing it!
Could be a coywolf you saw (coyote / wolf hybrid)? I’ve heard that they tend to migrate into populated areas along with the “pure” coyotes. I live in Orange (20 miles east of Westport) and I’ve seen several bobcats and many coyotes including ones with gray fur. Next to arrive should be the bears. I hear that there have been numerous sightings in Easton.
It’s odd that when I grew up in a wooded area of Weston in the 50’s and 60’s there were no coyotes, bobcats, bears or even any deer or wild turkeys and now they’re everywhere around the area!)
The bobcat walks through our property almost daily near the Unitarian Church between 6 and 7 pm
I’ve seen bobcats in my neck of the woods for many years. Not very often though – maybe 3 times. They are usually very secretive. Gorgeous creatures! I hope people leave them alone.
Wow! Coyotes and bears and now a bobcat. Westport is Wildlife Central. How exciting.
So that is why our dog has been going crazy! Thanks for heads up!
Spectacular animal!
We had, what we thought was a wolf, standing on a large rock in front of our home off of Roseville years ago. (The scene looked like a commercial for an insurance company.) As soon as we felt safe enough to get into the car, we drove to Earth Place Nature Center to learn more. They told us that there are no wolves in the area and it was a gray coyote. They told us that large, dog-size, gray coyotes live in our area. Perhaps that has changed, but the gray wolf story sounds similar.
And here I thought our fox was noteworthy.
I had a beautiful red fox scamper right through my yard (Trumbull), right past me, recently! It was amazing.
I lived in Easton for many years, and didn’t see much wildlife back then (over 8 years ago), which seemed strange to me, given how bucolic it is there!
Now, it seems like the Fairfield County area is teeming with all varieties of wildlife.
I LIVE IN EASTON..JUST ON THE BORDERS OF WSPT/WSTN/FFLD/ESTN…THE MAJESTIC 4 CORNERS! WE HAVE IT ALL AND THEM SOME..I HAVE EVEN SEEN A FISHER CAT, LOOK LIKE MINK…A BIG FERRET LIKE ANIMAL..PLAYFUL AND SLEEK,WOLF ( MY HOUSE WAS THE BACKGROUND OF THE FRONT PAGE WOLF PIC IN THE EASTON COURIER YEARS BACK),COYOTES (EVERY NIGHT HEAR THEM… BLOOD CURDLING SOUNDS) ..BOBCATS.AND SOME REALLY GREAT RED FOX..ITS A BEAUTIFUL THING..EVEN SMALLER CREATURES LIKE A FLYING SQUIRREL . A SPOTTED ENDANGERED LEOPARD SALAMANDER .AND UNFORTUNATELY A BAT IN MY HOUSE…THE JOYS OF LIVING IN A PROTECTED , WILD AND PRESERVED AREA. I WILL LIVE HERE AS LONG AS I CAN AFFORD IT.
THERE ISN’T A DAY I DON’T THANK GOD FOR BEING SO FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WORLD! I JUST HAVE TO PROTECT MY LITTLE ORGANIC GARDEN FROM THE RAVAGES OF THE EASTON WILDLIFE..AND THEIR FEROCIOUS APPETITES. MY LITTLE PLOT OF HEAVEN ON EARTH.
Have you heard the call of the fisher cat? It sounds just like a human scream – VERY spooky. I usually hear it in the early spring (mating season). I’ve never seen one, but our neighbor has and it was verified by the local Animal Control officer.
Oh my goodness! This is after the black bear sighting on Cavalry last week. It’s a jungle out there!
Awesome!