Reports of bobcat sightings have been on the rise in Okotoks.
According to multiple reports on social media, a bobcat has been frequenting the Air Ranch area in northeast Okotoks.
The latest of several sightings was reported on Facebook on Sunday, Oct. 6.
While Okotoks residents have reported multiple sightings on social media this month, a statement from Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services states that it has only received one report, a second-hand sighting reported on Sept. 13, over the last few months.
The lack of reports submitted to Fish and Wildlife should not serve to discredit the reports of Okotoks residents, and the statement provides detailed information on bobcat safety.
"Bobcats are opportunistic hunters, so protect your pets. Keep cats indoors and supervise small dogs when they are outside. Always keep a safe distance from bobcats, and if you have a pet, do not let it approach the bobcat," reads the statement.
Twice the size of their domestic counterparts, bobcats are more than capable of killing pet cats, as was the case recently in Calgary, where a bobcat was reported to have killed a pet cat during the summer.
To keep bobcats away, the statement advises people to "remove any food, shelter or water that may attract them to your property," including pet food and bird feeders. In addition, "trees, shrubs and even grass should be kept trimmed so there is no shelter for bobcats to hide in," and "spaces under decks and outbuildings should be closed off for the same reason."
While encountering a bobcat in Okotoks is unlikely, and a negative interaction even more so, it is important to keep bobcat safety in mind as wild animals continue to venture into residential areas.
"Bobcats were not something we saw in Alberta communities very often until the last decade," explained Scottie Potter, Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation communications coordinator.
According to Potter, the likelihood for wildlife encounters goes up as residential development encroaches on natural habitats: this rings true in Okotoks, which is located in a wildlife corridor that many animals may go through as they make their way along the Sheep River Valley.
Reported predatory wildlife encounters have been on the rise in the Foothills residents recently, including two cougar attacks on small pets in the span of two weeks and a black bear seen roaming through Okotoks in September, and most recently, a black bear spending half a day in a yard near Cayley on Oct. 9.
With that said, Potter reiterated that bobcats do not pose the same level of threat that other predators do.
"It is an extremely unlikely occurrence," said Potter on bobcat aggression toward humans, "and typically when a bobcat is in conflict with a person, it is an entirely defensive situation."
Potter noted that there are no recorded human fatalities associated with bobcats anywhere in the world.
While the predominant concern around bobcats is pet safety, attacks on pets are unlikely with the correct precautions.
"It's extraordinarily rare even for confident bobcats to be attacking people's pets," she said. "That being said, I still would keep pets inside."
She added that coyotes, frequently seen in and around Okotoks, are much more likely to attack people or pets.
The Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation, located on 40 acres in Madden, currently houses about 40 wild animals for rehabilitation, including a bobcat kitten, bear cubs, deer fawns and a multitude of young hawks.
"We work with all sorts of other animals that can be challenging for Albertans to live alongside, but we do definitely preach a co-existence philosophy, and that includes animals like bobcats," said Potter.
Sightings of bobcats and other potentially dangerous wildlife can be reported to Alberta Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-642-3800.
