Bobcat Spotted At Kentucky’s Dale Hallow Lake [VIDEO]

Many times, when you live in or visit a rural area, you come face to face with wildlife. That is exactly what happened while Mary and her family were boating on Dale Hollow Lake, in Kentucky.

I love this video. It's such a beautiful video of the lake and the Bobcat. Nature is so magnificent. As you can see in the comments, there are a lot of questions and myths surrounding Bobcats. Starting with, Are there really Bobcats in KY?

Around eight years ago, my son and I were riding our bikes down to a creek that is about a mile and a half from our house. As we were riding y a smaller creek, we heard a faint kind of growl, meow, cry coming from the rocks near a stream that spills into the creek. We rode back by the rocks and we saw a tiny kitten with no tail. It had not been injured, it just had no tail. We immediately thought we had found a Bobkitten and didn't know what to do considering it might be a wild animal. So, we did some research.

Turns out Bob wasn't a Bobcat, but a Manx cat. Basically, they are cats that have no tail. Not even a stub of a tail. She was just a regular mixed breed cat, who genetically formed the Manx trait of no tail.

After we found her, we took her home and made her a part of our family. She was the first cat we ever had and taught us a lot about what we need to know. Especially after we would ket her outside to play, as a teenage cat, and she came home pregnant. After two litters of kittens, we learned quite a bit.

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As far as real Bobcats, yes, there are Bobcats in every county in Kentucky. And, yes, they have short tails that are usually between six and seven inches long. Typically, they weigh in at around 20-30 pounds and dark brown, with light belly fur and spots. And, just like the video show, excellent climbers.

According to ky.gov,

Bobcats, which were considered rare as late as 1974, have increased in range and abundance throughout Kentucky. They are now found in every county in the state. Bobcats may have solid brown coats, which can cause people to misidentify them when glimpsed in low light.

Should you be afraid of Bobcats? Yes, you should avoid contact. Even though Bobcats look like big house or barn cats, they have very sharp claws, large sharp teeth, and fangs, and can take down animals much larger than them. You should never approach them, they are wild animals.

Chances are you will see of having an encounter with a Bobcat at some time, but just keep your distance and never try to approach them.

Big thank you to Mary for the use of her amazing video.

[ky.gov/Mental Floss]