Bobcat sightings on the rise in the Borderland

A social media post this past weekend about a large bobcat being spotted near the river just west of Sunland Park by Frontera is the latest in a string of recent reports of the big cats roaming around the El Paso and Las Cruces areas.

But according to Texas Parks and Wildlife officials, bobcat sightings in the Borderland are actually more common than you might think — however, they say many people may not know what to do if they come into contact with a bobcat.

“They’re more or less nocturnal, they usually come out around the evening times,” said Ryan Svehla, a Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden.

Although Svehla said that bobcat sightings are rare during the day, one ABC-7 viewer shared a video of a bobcat sighting outside her home that happened earlier this month.

“As far as a human threat they’re not really that dangerous to us. They’re not actually looking out to hunt a human,” said Svehla.

Although attacks by bobcats on humans are rare, if the animal does feel threatened it could attack.

“If you see a bobcat while you’re out walking with your dogs, stay away from it if you can if it feels threatened it could attack,” said Svehla.

Officials also recommend to avoid running away because that could trigger a pursuit response from the bobcat.

For residents who live in open spaces where bobcat sighting could occur, there are a few things you can do to prevent a bobcat from entering your property and possibly harming your pets.

“The more active that yard is they’ll more than likely stay away from it,” said Svehla.

Loud noises coming from a person’s yard is a way to scare bobcats.

Officials highly recommend keeping pets indoor and never leaving pet food or water outdoors.

If you see a bobcat hanging around a populated neighborhood or where people frequently hang out, you are asked to notify animal control authorities immediately.