A drive through this scenic area carries you across small bridges where Big Sandy Creek flows back and forth from the left side of the roadway to the right. Large boulders in the creek bed create a logjam of sticks and fallen tree limbs, waiting for heavy rains to set them free for their southern journey downstream. Pristine wilderness surrounds this mountain route.
On a sunny mid morning day, a lone creature emerged from the forest canopy and crossed the asphalt. Unhurried, the wild animal sauntered to the tree line for cover then nonchalantly stopped to look and listen. Wide, alert eyes kept watch as my vehicle slowed down and eventually came to rest. Like a two-foot tall statue with a reddish brown coat, dark spots and stripes, the animal stood motionless, watching.
Sightings of bobcats are not too common here in Pennsylvania. To observe one of these members of the subfamily Felinae in broad daylight is even more unusual. Add to this encounter the opportunity to talk to one of these animals in the wild and you have one memorable, unexpected moment with nature.
Population estimates place about 5000 adult bobcats Lynx rufus living in mostly mountainous regions around the state. Territorial by nature, these cats maintain a home range as small as five miles, but this area can expand beyond 50 miles if their food source becomes inadequate.
Belonging to the order Carnivora, these predators stalk their prey. Their diet usually consists of squirrels, chipmunks and rabbits. Older or sick deer may also be targeted. A study conducted by the Pennsylvania Game Commission records several fawn kills by hungry bobcats. Insects and fish have been found inside the stomachs of these animals as well.
Bobcats make their homes in dens, usually hollow logs, heavy thickets or rock crevices. Here, the female delivers her young and tends to them without further help from the male. Breeding most often takes place in the spring. Two or three kittens are born around two months later.
Male cats grow larger than females and can weigh as much as 35 pounds. The average weight is 20 pounds. They stand about two feet high and have a body length of nearly three feet. A short tail four to seven inches long gives the bobcat its name. Within the genus Lynx, only this species has a white tip on the end of its tail.
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