Somewhere right now, there’s a bobcat being 1000x times tougher than you’ll ever be.
The most populous wild cat in America is known to roam just about anywhere, living across the entire lower 48 and able to survive in habits that range from deep Florida swamps to high in the snowy Rocky Mountains.
Despite being pretty small creatures, typically in the 20 pound range, they’re incredible predators, known to take out everything from deer to rattlesnakes, but consume mostly easier to capture small game animals like rabbits, birds, and rodents.
Although bobcats try to avoid harsher, snowy environments, sometimes they’re forced to take chances to get food in rough times, which is exactly what happened to the bobcat in this awesome video from Planet Earth II, the iconic BBC nature documentary voiced by none other than the great David Attenborough.
Despite all of the surroundings being completely frozen and covered in deep snow, a nearby river is fed by a volcanic spring which causes the water to be around 50 degrees warmer than the surrounding air. This draws in all sorts of wildlife, from ducks, to otters, to herons, which make a great hunting ground for nearby predators like coyotes and the star of this clip, the bobcat.
When the cat first makes its way to the water, it’s immediately interested in a flock of ducks swimming close to the shore line. As anyone who’s owned or been around cats knows, they aren’t exactly fans of water, and while the bobcat is willing to get in if he has to, he’ll go to some lengths to sneak up on the birds on land to attempt to stay dry.
Unfortunately, the ducks are way to smart for this slightly out of place bobcat and are able to escape its clutches, leaving the cat wet and still hungry.
Since he’s already wet, he decides to cross the river, where the steam from the volcanic water has warmed the trees and provided a home from many birds and other small game creatures the cat is much more familiar with hunting.
Once he notices a squirrel in a tree, he locks in and begins stalking.
After quietly making his way to the base of the tree, he waits for the perfect moment and then shoots almost 20 feet up the tree in a flash, snagging the poor squirrel before it even has a clue what’s going on.
A nice little snack to give the cat some energy to keep up the hunt.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am Team Bobcat all day.. these little guys are just so cool I can’t help but love them.
Just keep your pets and chickens away from them, okay?
