A bobcat was reported by a passerby near the parking garage and trail at Greenway Boulevard in Middleton on Wednesday around 11:30 a.m. A Middleton police officer arrived, photographed the animal and alerted the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
DNR Assessment
According to DNR furbearer specialist Shawn Rossler, bobcats have been expanding into southern Wisconsin over the past two decades and are now fairly common, though they remain elusive. He noted that urban sightings are not unusual because city parks and neighborhoods provide small mammals—squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks—that bobcats prey on.
Rossler emphasized that the bobcat appears to be behaving normally, does not pose a threat to residents, and will not be captured. He advised the public to give the animal plenty of space, observe from a distance, and avoid approaching it, as close contact can disrupt its natural behavior.
Expert Advice
David Drake, a professor and extension wildlife specialist at the University of Wisconsin‑Madison, offered additional guidance. If a bobcat gets too close, he recommends making yourself look larger and attempting to scare the animal away. “Generally, bobcats are pretty secretive to begin with, and probably it’s not going to take too much to scare them out of the area,” Drake said.
Drake added that bobcats do not often establish a permanent presence in the city. “They move through here, and we’ve had them moving through here probably more frequently in the last few years, but they don’t seem to stay here, and there doesn’t seem to be a sustained population or breeding population of bobcats in the city,” he explained. He praised the sightings as a sign that residents can coexist with local wildlife.
Recent Coyote Bite
The bobcat sighting followed a coyote bite that occurred Tuesday morning on a pedestrian bridge between W. Wingra Drive and Plaenert Drive. The bite victim received medical care for a minor injury. Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) said there is no ongoing effort to capture the coyote and no specific reason to suspect rabies. They advised anyone bitten by a wild animal to consult a health‑care provider.
A DNR spokesperson said staff searched the coyote incident site for a possible den but found none, and the agency has notified the nearby school of the situation.
Community Reaction
Local trail regular Eric Schmidt said he’s accustomed to seeing dogs, geese and squirrels, but a bobcat is a new sight. “I’d love to see it,” he said.
Residents Anna and John Lonetree expressed surprise but also appreciation for the wildlife. “This is my first hearing about the bobcat, but I mean, we are nature’s back door, so they have the same right to be here, I think,” Anna Lonetree said. “Obviously there’s some good stuff to eat around here, and that’s what bobcats look for. They’ve got huge territory. I doubt we’re going to see it again.”
Original reporting: NBC15 WMTV (Gray) – local — read the source article.
