Caught on camera: N.S. woman records bobcat stuck in backyard

CTV Atlantic: N.S. woman catches bobcat on camera A Nova Scotia woman says a curious young bobcat made its way into her backyard, and she caught it all on camera. Kelland Sundahl explains.

A woman from Indian Harbour, N.S., says a curious, young bobcat wondered into a nearby backyard Wednesday, and she captured the whole experience on camera.

Kelly St Pierre says she was mowing the lawn when she spotted the bobcat out of the corner of her eye.

“I saw something running back and forth pretty aggressively,” she says. “At first I thought it was a cat.”

St Pierre says the bobcat was behind her neighbour’s fence.

“At that point I knew it was stuck and scared," she says, “so I decided the walk up those steps and tell my neighbour Andrew there was something unusual in his backyard.”

Jennie Whitton heard her dogs barking and went to investigate. She and St Pierre yelled and opened a gate, but the timid cat wouldn't budge.

“He was underneath the deck... so I said put the hose to it,” Whitton says.

Within seconds, the bobcat was skedaddling back to the woods.

The Department of Natural Resources tracks the number of bobcat sightings in a year. They've been steadily increasing from 30 in 2011 to 120 this year.

DNR believes it's either because the animals are eating well, therefore reproducing. Or it's because of social media that they're getting more reports.

Amy Marsters of the Department of Natural Resources says bobcats aren't dangerous, but should be respected.

“I myself have never seen one. All the years and time I've spent in the woods, I think it's pretty exciting to get to see that kind of wildlife in your own backyard,” Marsters says.

St Pierre says it’s a unique experience she won’t soon forget.

“The fact they are so elusive, it's so great I got close enough to see one in the eyes. I feel lucky.”

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kelland Sundahl.