A motion-sensor camera at the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona has captured a striking image showing a bobcat walking atop a hill with a rattlesnake in its jaws.
“Bobcats like to spice up their usual meal planning with an occasional rattlesnake,” the U.S. Fish ad Wildlife Service explained Thursday via X. “Rabbits and hares tend to be a favorite meal, but venomous snakes make the menu every now and then.”
Bobcats like to spice up their usual meal planning with an occasional rattlesnake. NBD.
Rabbits and hares tend to be a favorite meal, but venomous snakes make the menu every now and then. This image was captured by a trail camera at Imperial National Wildlife refuge in AZ. pic.twitter.com/nRj4oEYuI8
— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (@USFWS) May 16, 2024
Although challenging a rattlesnake might seem risky for a bobcat, their quickness and instincts are such to make the task of subduing the reptiles look fairly routine.
Perhaps the most notable example was from “nail-biter” footage captured in California’s Angeles National Forest in 2020. That clip is featured below.
