A bobcat crossed in front of a jogger at Waveny Park, just north of Darien, on Monday, Nov. 20, and one was spotted there on Nov. 8 as well, according to a New Canaan official, who said that they don’t hurt humans.
This bobcat was photographed in October 2015 after tripping an outdoor camera off of Oenoke Ridge Road near Turtle Back. (Published with permission of the photograph’s owner.)
Nevertheless, Officer Allyson Halm, the head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control unit, suggested Waveny Park visitors bring a hazing tool with them after the two reported bobcat sightings in the park this month.
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— This article originally was published in slightly different form by NewCanaanite.com.
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The park, just north of the Merritt Parkway, is less than a quarter of a mile away from the Darien border.
In the latest, Nov. 20 sighting, a bobcat crossed in front of a jogger’s path at Waveny, according to Halm said. It’s a good idea at Waveny to have a hazing tool of some kind, mostly because of coyotes, she said.
“Bobcats are fairly elusive and not really a concern, but I have to assume their breeding season is approaching, so maybe that’s why they’re on the move. When you are out on the trails by yourself, have some sort of whistle or air horn. I encourage people to have walking sticks, and just make yourself ‘loud and large’ to frighten the animal away.”
New Canaan police recently alleged there was a problem with a member of a different species at the park:
Other recent New Canaan public safety news with a Darien connection:
Although Bobcats pose no real threat to humans, they will prey on domestic cats. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, bobcats’ prey includes rabbits, woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, white-tailed deer—typically young or injured—birds, and, to a much lesser extent, insects and reptiles.
This bobcat was spotted and photographed in December 2015. (Photo published with permission from its owner.)
They breed between February and March, and one to four kittens generally are born in a litter in April.
New Canaan two breeding seasons ago — in early 2016 — had a string of bobcat sightings, including on Dogwood Lane (MAP) on the west side of town.
In 2015, bobcats were spotted on:
- Jelliff Mill and Gerdes Roads in February (Map: Jelliff Mill Road; Map: Gerdes Road),
- Wahackme Road in April (MAP)
- Oenoke Ridge in October (MAP) and
- Michigan Road in December (MAP).
Photo from New Canaan Police Animal Control Unit
A bobcat sighted in the Jelliff Mill area of southern New Canaan in February 2015.
Officials long had believed that New Canaan had two bobcats: One that travels the Ponus Ridge corridor on the western side of town and another in the area of Gerdes Road (to the east of Waveny Park and also near the Darien border).
In September 2014, a bobcat kitten was seen on Deep Valley Road (MAP), and Animal Control officials predicted at the time that the town would see more of them.
Seldom seen, they’re most active after dusk and before dawn, and bobcats make dens from which they may travel up to four miles per day.
In Other Wild Fauna News (Not Very Recent) …
- WHALES: Aquarium: Keep a Certain Distance from Whales in Long Island Sound (July 28)
- DOLPHINS: Twelve Amazing Photos of Dolphins in Long Island Sound (May 31)
- COYOTES: Signs About Coyotes Going up in Waveny Park Just North of Darien (April 6)
- MORE COYOTES: Coyotes Have Been Seen Around Town: Police Have Advice (March 23)
- EVEN MORE COYOTES: Coyotes Attacking Pets in Darien, One Dog Killed (Dec. 13, 2016)
- FERRET: No Owner Comes Forward to Claim Ferret Found on West Ave, But a Woman Adopts It (Oct. 3, 2016)
- DEER (of course): Watch this Video of a Darien Police Officer Rescuing a Fawn from a Driveway Grate (Aug. 12, 2016)
- MORE WHALES: Whales Have Returned to Western Long Island Sound: What to Do If You See One (July 28, 2016)
- LARGISH TURTLES: Local Wildlife Picture: Eastern Box Turtle off of Holmes Avenue (June 5, 2016)
- BOA: Found in Darien: One Boa — Not Less, Not Moa (April 25, 2016)
- A MOUNTAIN LION??? Does a Mountain Lion Lurk in New Canaan? Wildlife Officials Examine Paw Prints (April 5)
- WILD TURKEYS: Picture of the Day: Wild Turkeys on Old Kings Highway South (March 15, 2016)
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