Why did the bobcat come to the Redmond dog park?
REDMOND, Wash. - An apparent bobcat caught visitors by surprise as they came to the off-leash dog area of Redmond's Marymoor Park on Saturday.
The wild cat, who was lounging in the branches of a tree, looked down sleepily and unconcerned at the dogs as they ran and cavorted about 20 feet beneath him.
The dogs, meanwhile, seemed totally oblivious to the bobcat's presence.
But several human visitors noticed the tawny cat.
"It's beautiful, and it's kind of fun to watch at a dog park," said Laura Teague.
Gail Hale of Redmond said she has been coming to the park for nearly 19 years and had never seen anything like it.
"We've seen the deer, I've heard the coyotes - it's just mortifying, when you come late at night and you hear the coyotes crying," she said.
She said she figures the wild cat can take care of itself.
"He's happy, but he's not going to get down any time soon," she said. "Poor baby, he's going to be stuck up there. He'll get down at nighttime."
The wild cat, who was lounging in the branches of a tree, looked down sleepily and unconcerned at the dogs as they ran and cavorted about 20 feet beneath him.
The dogs, meanwhile, seemed totally oblivious to the bobcat's presence.
But several human visitors noticed the tawny cat.
"It's beautiful, and it's kind of fun to watch at a dog park," said Laura Teague.
Gail Hale of Redmond said she has been coming to the park for nearly 19 years and had never seen anything like it.
"We've seen the deer, I've heard the coyotes - it's just mortifying, when you come late at night and you hear the coyotes crying," she said.
She said she figures the wild cat can take care of itself.
"He's happy, but he's not going to get down any time soon," she said. "Poor baby, he's going to be stuck up there. He'll get down at nighttime."
As the Disney film said, "Cats rule, dogs drool"
Komo must be depserate for news stories...
...Maybe the cat is looking for some copper thief's...
Only thing they should be doing is ensure no stupid hunter tries to take a shot at this animal...
A bobcat has been sited in recent months hanging around the creek that runs between housing on Bel-Red and up NE 40th. Pretty close to Marymoor.
Confused about the "mortified". That means embarrassed or ashamed, how does coyotes howling cause that emotion?
@CoclesMary I believe the term was being used in its definition "to confuse or deaden" not to be taken literally, similar to "I died laughing." Someone else could probably state it more eloquently.
@CoclesMary A colloquial term.
Rrrrawr.. kitty want small doggie for dinner.. perhaps a nice delish Dachshund? Â Yummies..
I know the answer:
To Eat A Hot Doggie
I saw a fairly large looking male a few days ago. It was at the top of my driveway. Got a couple of shots with my digital camera about 70 yards away with a 200mm lens. This is the 3rd sighting I've had here in 15 years.
Beautiful cat- it looks like a much larger version of my kitty, I see that look on my cats face every day as he sits on the back of my couch looking at me while I eat.Â
@MomOf2 I know, I love it how when they're looking down slightly their cheeks scrunch up a bit into their eyes. And you get the 'total concentration' look :)
Im surprised someone didnt have a fit and start calling cops and animal control  OMG there is a bobcat in the Treeeee bothering nobody!!!! someone come and get it heaaaaa  im gonna faint.
I too find it funny that someone is 'mortified' by the sound of coyotes singing just as they were created to do. Â I love it and eagerly await the pups soon to be born who will be yipping as they find their voices in a few months. Â That will be followed by the sight of a few mostly-eaten bunnies or squirrels, and while it might be a bit unpleasant sometimes, it's the circle of life, completely natural.
"We've seen the deer, I've heard the coyotes - it's just mortifying, when you come late at night and you hear the coyotes crying," she said.
I grew up in Arizona, and from 13 until 18 lived in the Scottsdale-Carefree area. It was natural desert, hills, washes, beautiful with coyotes, javelinas, and deer. No one ever found coyotes howling or "crying" as this woman put it, "mortifying". We all enjoyed it.
The park is closed after dusk, so you shouldnt be there anyway.
Can you sing pretty Kitty to me.
That looks like a Canadian lynx. It looks just like mine
@Cheryl Lynx are larger & heavier than bobcats.  They also tend to stay in the mountains *very* far from people if they have it their way
Looking at the title, I'm thinking "to get to the other side?"
Lunch
I actually saw a bobcat near the velodrome in January of 2012. Â I wonder if it was the same one? Â Cool picture!
I have never seen a bobcat in the wild, but I did see two prints on my property about a year ago.I can not be sure, but they sure looked like cat prints but about 3 times the size.When I walk my dogs, I look for sign, usually deer or coyote.Rabbit comes and goes.Lots of rabbit, count on coyotes.When there are no rabbits, the coyotes have moved on.Natures cycle.In the morning after a fresh snow, there is a whole story to be seen.I love it. Predatorâs slip quietly through the habitat.If you really want to see wildlife, donât act like a predator.I can be driving a tractor or riding a mower and the deer just stand there and look at me.The crows hang around within feet looking for me to run over a critter in the grass.No predator makes that kind of noise.
It's mortifying to hear coyotes?  Mortifying means humiliating or embarrassing. Why is this person humiliated to hear coyotes?
@RoseMaryThyme I think she meant that it's absolutely terrible that those poor coyotes are homeless and don't have anywhere to go at night? I've heard that "nature" is a horrible place for wild animals to be...
@RoseMaryThyme Animals are well-suited to their natural environments & all have a home - not what you & I think of as a home, but they are happy with it.  The time things go sideways for them is when humans come in & change their natural habitat.  Not a judgement, I enjoy living in a warm home.  Just the way things are.
Beautiful cat.
"We've seen the deer, I've heard the coyotes - it's just mortifying, when you come late at night and you hear the coyotes crying," she said"
Huh? When I hear coyotes (which I do all the time), I love it. Â Keep your mutt on a leash and you won't have to worry.
As for that Bobcat, I am pretty sure she will hold her own against any coyote dumb enough to mess with her.
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Fast food of nature everywhere; poodles, rat dogs, weiner dogs, etc.
Mortifying to hear coyotes? Jeesh stay in the city lady!
@SensationaLies I love hearing that sound.
Damn, I wish I was there to see this bobcat. This is a rare sight to see, especially in such a crowded place. I always miss out on the best of these types of things. I go out every week in search of spotting wildlife such as this bobcat, and I go deep into the woods just to try and see wildlife like this, never fails that one of these wild animals is always in the most oddest of places. Maybe next time I visit the dog park I'll also get the opportunity to see another bobcat in it's natural surroundings. Only seen one in the wild and that was in Issaquah two years ago. Gives me butterflies in my stomach just seeing the picture of this wild cat. Gotta appreciate the better things in life and this is definitely one of those better things for me. :)
@Rick G. Definitely a "better thing in life".  It's always an incredible experience for me when I see a wild animal in its natural habitat just doing what it does.  That said, I haven't yet had any scary encounters like magic_eye.
@Rick G. I'm a geocacher, and while out on the hunt, I've seen beer, deer, coyote, owls, a bobcat, and a cougar (well, I didn't actually see the cougar, but he saw me, and told me to leave the area immediately).  The encounter with the bear was d**n scary, thank you, which I'd rather hope never to repeat.  Long story....
Just doing what all cats do, eat, sleep and watch....
What a pretty kitty. Hope he is able to relax and continue his journey.
Bobcats are fun to watch in the wild. Watched one years ago take down a deer. Me and my part wolf dog was up in on the Skok one year and ran across one that was fishing in a small river. My dog went after it and the last I saw my dog was him chasing this bobcat over a ridge about a mile away. The dog finally showed up a few hours later just dead tired.lol
What was it doing ?
It has the safe, high ground and was waiting for a chance so leap down and grab a tiny little chew-wa-wa, then run off into the woods and eat it.
Get it ? It "chews" your little dog and you cry 'WAAA WAAA....."
Not funny, is it ?
@komonews funny, I figured the answer was 'noms.'
@GrrlGotGame Yep. Waitin for the chihauhuas to arrive.
@JustAnotherMo in SoCal, a radio-tagged mountain lion used to sit right next to a popular suburban hiking trail. No one ever saw it.
@LilacSundayBlog awesome! City folks around here are oblivious to the native wildlife until it's digging through their garbage cans ;0)
@JustAnotherMo I didn't take "Wild California" seriously until I had 2 encounters with mountain lions within 12 months; 1 scary, 1 awesome.
I showed this to my Yorkie puppy and he wants to go there and pick a fight.
I think the kitty is watching the animals under him playing with the creatures on two legs...
What a beautiful, magnificent creature. Â Leave it alone, let it be. Â Stay safe, kitty.
"Poodles...here poodles."
Such a cute kitty! Here kitty kitty kitty!
Beautiful cat. Leave it be and he'll make his way home.Â
Snacks!
Maybe he (she?) is watching the dogs to be sure they play nicely. Kitty will teach the dogs courtesy if they don't.