An Ashcroft man and his dog suffered minor injuries after what appears to have been a bobcat attack in the backyard of their home near Desert Sands Community School.
Joel Anstett says that at 11:30 p.m. on July 20, his dog Apollo 含羞草研究社� a large beagle 含羞草研究社� was scratching at the door to go outside. Normally Anstett would not have gone outside with Apollo, but on this night he did.
The dog did not appear agitated, but as soon as he got outside he put his nose in the air, sniffed, and took off for the back of the shed in the back yard.
含羞草研究社淚 hadn含羞草研究社檛 heard anything,含羞草研究社� says Anstett. 含羞草研究社淏ut then I heard a thud, then a grunt and a yelp, like something had landed on him.
含羞草研究社淭hen I heard a lot of rustling, and the dog started barking, and I heard really bad hissing and yowling. I thought 含羞草研究社榃hat含羞草研究社檚 going on?含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Anstett headed to the shed and, using the flashlight on his cellphone, saw what looked like a 含羞草研究社渞eally, really big cat含羞草研究社� on top of Apollo. At first he thought it was a lynx, because of its ears, but afterward identified it from pictures as a bobcat.
含羞草研究社淚 freaked out,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淚t was on top of my dog, and out of instinct I jumped on top of it.
含羞草研究社淭he animal and I were wrestling, and it was biting and clawing at me. I was getting chewed up pretty bad. The adrenaline was pumping, and I tossed the animal into a neighbour含羞草研究社檚 yard. It was about two times the size of Apollo, and much heavier.含羞草研究社�
In the confusion, Apollo had escaped, and Anstett didn含羞草研究社檛 know where he had gone.
含羞草研究社淚 was distraught, and didn含羞草研究社檛 realize the door was still open. I was calling and calling, and then I heard him inside, yelping. I yelled that Apollo and I had been attacked.含羞草研究社�
Anstett had been bitten and scratched hard on the fingers, wrist, arms, and leg. 含羞草研究社淢y arm is really swollen, and I have some pretty big bite marks. I got driven into Royal Inland in Kamloops right away. I was bleeding pretty bad, but thought that if I could get bandaged up until I got to Kamloops I含羞草研究社檇 be good.
含羞草研究社淚 thought it best for the ambulance to stay in town, in case something more serious happened, as mine were not crazy life-threatening injuries.含羞草研究社�
Anstett got shots for tetanus and rabies, and there will be two follow-up rabies shots. Apollo had bite marks on his back, which Anstett was treating until he could be taken to the vet in 100 Mile.
含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 doing really well,含羞草研究社� says Anstett. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e been cleaning his wounds, and they含羞草研究社檙e drying up. I含羞草研究社檓 healing up right now as well.含羞草研究社�
Although Anstett had not seen any signs of a bobcat in the neighbourhood, he says that on the two previous nights Apollo had been acting weird. 含羞草研究社淗e would go to one corner of the fence and chase something, but I didn含羞草研究社檛 know what it was.含羞草研究社� He thinks that on the night of the attack, the bobcat was sitting on the fence, saw Apollo go by, and pounced.
He adds that when he was at RIH, he was told that no one had heard of a bobcat attack.
Vanessa Isnardy, program manager for WildSafeBC, says that bobcat attacks on people are 含羞草研究社渧ery rare含羞草研究社�.
含羞草研究社淗owever, people can become injured when they are protecting pets or livestock,含羞草研究社� she said via email. 含羞草研究社淏obcats will come into communities if there are sources of food, and this includes small livestock. Conflicts should be reported to the Conservation Officer Service and attractants should be managed in a way to prevent conflict.
含羞草研究社淲ith small livestock, if they are left outside unattended, they should be fenced in a way that predators cannot jump into the area or climb the fencing.含羞草研究社�
She added that there have been lynx in Kamloops two winters in a row, as well as moose in town.
含羞草研究社滻 cannot speak as to whether bobcats in Ashcroft are unusual. However, it can likely be expected with unusual weather events and extremes, which affect predators and prey and their habitat, [that] we are likely to have more 含羞草研究社榰nusual含羞草研究社� interactions like this.含羞草研究社�
By coincidence, on July 21 the Village of Ashcroft warned residents that a cougar had been spotted at the Ashcroft Valley Estates mobile home park on Mesa Vista Courte, and warned residents to keep children and pets inside. The village sent out a second notice later on July 21 saying that the Conservation Office and RCMP had dealt with the situation and there was no longer a threat.
Anyone spotting wildlife in or around communities is urged to report it via the Conservation Office含羞草研究社檚 24-hour R.A.P.P. (Report All Poachers and Polluters) line at 1-877-952-7277 (*7277 on a mobile phone). Sightings are updated daily on the Wildlife Alert Reporting Program map, which was developed by WildSafeBC. For more information, and to view the map, go to .
Anstett is just glad that Apollo is fine following the attack.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e never seen a bobcat close up, or had to wrestle or fight one. My wife and my kid and my dog are my babies. I think anyone else would have done the same thing.含羞草研究社�
editorial@accjournal.ca
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