LEAWOOD, Kan. -- Leawood Animal Control officers spent part of their Wednesday patrolling the streets of the Hallbrook neighborhood after someone spotted a bobcat.
The bobcat caught the eye of a landscaper working at a home in a cul-de-sac at 113th and Brookwood Avenue.
Marty Pavlovich lives a few doors away.
"I think of bobcat and I think of kind of an aggressive animal," Pavlovich said.
She learned about the sighting from the Nextdoor app, as did others.
A bobcat is shown in a screenshot from the Nextdoor app.
The post prompted someone to call Leawood Animal Control, who came out to investigate.
"It didn't appear to be sick or injured or anything like that. That's when we would be more involved because we don't want a sick or diseased animal running around," Jerry Webb with Leawood Animal Control said Thursday.
Bobcat sightings in Leawood aren't unheard of.
The city administrator told 41 Action News the ongoing construction work to expand the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility may be one of the reasons why they're seeing bobcats in residential areas.
"And hopefully they wouldn't go after people," Pavlovich said.
"Not unless you're messing with their kittens or you corner one," said Todd Meese, a wildlife damage biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "They're typically afraid of people. That's why people don't see them, and they're really shocked when they do see one."
Meese shared these photos of bobcats spotted around the Kansas City metro.
These photos of bobcats were taken in the Kansas City area.
Meese said bobcats are reclusive animals but are territorial -- so if you have pets, take precautions.
"Bobcats will prey on house cats in their territory; they just see it as an invader. A cat is an invader and a dog -- a small dog -- is food," Meese said.
He adds that a bobcat's diet consists of rabbits, mice, and birds. Bobcats are often mistaken for mountain lions but there are differences, as Meese explains here:
Meese believes the bobcat spotted Wednesday weighs at least 25 pounds and is nearly two feet tall.
"People don't realize they're closer than they think," he said.
If you spot a bobcat, animal control wants you to give them a call. In Leawood, their number is 913-663-9322
