Posted on 04/09/2015 6:06:44 AM PDT by Clint N. Suhks
Dramatic photograph appears to be real, experts say.
Many species of cats are great fishers, and bobcats are no exception. But one bobcat created an extraordinary fish tale when it pulled a shark out of the surf.
The dramatic moment was caught on camera by John Bailey in Vero Beach, Florida, Monday night, when he was walking along Sebastian Inlet State Park. Bailey has not yet responded to a request for comment but he told local media that he saw the cat fishing in the surf.
Suddenly, the cat leaped and dragged a shark three to four feet long (one meter) out of the water. Bailey photographed the action. The bobcat, seemingly startled, then ran off into the woods, leaving the shark on the beach.
Liz Barraco, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, says “we have no reason to believe [the photograph is] fake."
Bobcats are known to eat a variety of mammals and birds and they occasionally eat fish, notes Barraco. “But this is the first time we’ve seen them fishing in saltwater.”
Still, it’s not too surprising since bobcats are opportunistic predators, she says.
National Geographic Photo Editor Ken Geiger adds that an examination of Bailey's image, which was made on an iPhone 6, suggests it is authentic.
Seth Riley, a wildlife biologist, University of California, Los Angeles professor, and National Geographic explorer who works for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in California, said via email that he hasn't seen "anything like that" before in his years studying bobcats. But the behavior "doesn't surprise me," he notes.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.nationalgeographic.com ...
Bobcat? Looks more like a cougar to me.
No prob its still a cat and a fish granted. I have shot countless rolls of film of Fl. sunsets and risings on shore off shore.Key W to St Marys Ga.
IMOP that is a morning sun.
Nah, that Bobcat hunts with lighter fluid. Just ask Jay Leno.
..doesn’t look like a bobcat...looks like a cougar.
[ I always wondered why cats like fish so much when they abhor water and therefore have little or no access to fish in the wild.
Apparently, cats can fish after all. ]
I don’t like getting wet either, but I do shower regularly...
That is a mountain lion. The long back and size give it away. A bob cat is about 40 lbs tops but the lion pictured is probably 225, maybe a bit more.
T
Interesting. That calls the whole account into question.
I’ll settle this....the cat is a Pooka.
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