A bobcat (Lynx rufus) jumps over a river with a single leap.

[catbyte]

He almost didn't get wet, but wow.

Link to tweet

[SWBTATTReg]

1. I can believe it. I was in the Ozarks, behind a state park, years back, when I was going to ...

my folks house (in the middle of nowhere), and a large brown cat (long tail) jumped over my Ford Explorer going up a fairly steep hill. I was shocked that it was a cat, and it wasn't a deer I could have very easily hit (there were lots of hit and runs w/ deer on this back road).

It never happened again, but still, the experience still sits w/ me of the sheer energy it had to jump over the entire vehicle. And it wasn't a 'house cat'. It was the real thing, large, light brown in color (fur), and curly tailed cat.

[2naSalit]

2. That's just beautiful.

Another species who can cross a river quickly is a bear... they can walk on water when it suits them.

[BComplex]

3. Beautiful airborne form!

Thanks!

[lastlib]

14. Four times his body length (by my calculation!)

they are impressive critters!

I had an encounter with one in the middle of the night many years ago on a backpacking trip in the Mark Twain National Forest. I was hiking a 17-mile trail, but got a bit of a late start, so by evening I didn't make my campground for the night. So, rather than try to wander through the woods in the dark, I decided to just throw down on the ground just off the trail. Put down a ground cloth, laid sleeping bag on it, jacket for a pillow, flashlight under it, and crashed. Some time later, I awoke to the sound of leaves rustling in the dark, not too far from me. Then, silence, then another sound I couldn't identify, almost like a small motor in a very low gear. I pulled out my flashlight and shined it in that direction, to see two small greenish-yellow eyes--and behind them was the body of a (guessing) roughly twenty-pound bobcat, fifteen feet away from me--and he was not happy to see me in HIS woods! All I could think to do was lay still and talk to him in a soft gentle voice. "Nice kitty. Happy to see you, kitty. I won't hurt you, kitty, if you won't hurt me. Good night, kitty, happy hunting!" After a minute or so of this, he turned and went away. Whew! I had *no* *doubt* he could've ripped me a new one if he had been so inclined! And he probably could've been on me in one leap.

A beautiful animal, and I'm reeeallly glad he took the route of peaceful co-existence!

[BComplex]

15. Good job. That was exactly the right thing to do.

n/t

[JGug1]

24. could Have Ripped You

It would have been an extraordinary thing it a Bobcat had attacked you. I suspect you were in ZERO danger. Still, I get what you experienced. I hiked many miles in those woods, by the way. One time, at a river crossing, I missed the trail on the other side on the Ozark Highlands Trail. I WAS wandering in the dark, or would have been. So, I just set up my tent and went to early sleep. Next morning, I started to follow down hill, were there was an old road but that wasn't right. So, I returned in the other direction, found a fence, climbed over it, walked to a gate, opened it, and there I was, back on the trail. Wonderful memories and I was almost always alone.

[Laffy Kat]

29. A bobcat that attacks is probably a rabid bobcat.

And that is terrifying.

[lastlib]

31. I didn't think (at least I was hoping!) that he would attack me unless...

he felt threatened. So my instinct was to not threaten him. Just lie as still as possible, hope my voice was not threatening or sounding fearful, and that I wouldn't come across as dinner to him!

Sounds like you and I may have stomped some of the same ground! This episode happened on the Big Piney Trail, just south of Ft. Leonard Wood. I've hiked that one twice, and the Berryman Trail and Taum Sauk Trail once each--Beautiful country! and so peaceful! Wish I could get down there more!

My other memory of that hike was the reason that I was late getting on the trail to begin with: I had just turned off the road that went TO Ft. Wood, onto the road to Houston (MO) and the trailhead, when an A-10 (from the fort, I would presume) targeted my car on the road and dived on me. All I knew was I heard this eerie scream from hell, and thought my car was falling apart! I stopped, and got out to see what was going on, when I saw this plane pulling out of its dive! From there, I had to drive to Roby to change my underwear!

[CatMor]

4. That is unbelievable .....

what a thing of beauty.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Cats are amazing jumpers.

And watch how the bobcat first seems to be carefully calculating the distance before winding up for the jump.

[Bayard]

6. Like the foot shake at the end

We used to have these guys on my farm in Calif.

[Duppers]

33. My future neighbor

Down in TN sent me a pic of a big one on her back driveway.

[Karadeniz]

7. Well-designed! And, he was aiming for that little rock!

[Scarsdale]

9. So graceful.

So focused. We had a cat once that tried to jump from the kitchen table to the countertop. He missed, brought down the strainer full of silverware. We heard a large crash, then Lucifer (pure black) strolls into the room as though nothing had happened. Crash? I didn't hear a crash. The evidence was all over the kitchen floor.

[catbyte]

30. Lucifer: "I meant to do that."

I love how nonchalant cats are about some havoc they wreaked in another room. If there's one thing cats hate it's to be laughed at. But sometimes you just can't help it. Great story; thanks for sharing!

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Guess that's why a bobcat slept on the top of my Corvette when I

lived in the foothills of Tucson.

[LittleGirl]

20. We had a neighborhood bobcat

She/he came to nap in my back yard Twice! That thing could jump my 6 foot block fence in Oro Valley without missing a beat. Amazingly beautiful animals.

[liberalla]

10. Just beautiful! I love all cats big and small...

I really love my own little babies, of course!

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

11. MY CAT used to jump from my roof across an 8 ft alley to the roof of house next door

and from there had a way to jump to the ground I never saw it but Ive heard it was pretty incredible - involving that same intense concentration and a butt wiggle to get the momentum going. Hhe's an old man now and arthritic so no more flying leaps.

[Laffy Kat]

12. These are the cats we have roaming in Boulder's back yards right now.

[RVN VET71]

22. A pride of mountain lions? I counted 3 on a quick view.

I wonder: would they have entered the yard had people been present? IOW, would they shy away from people or view them as dinner?

[Laffy Kat]

26. They are definitely coming down more now.

We usually get a few sightings a year but there are so many now. I read somewhere that at this time of year some of the younger males may travel in "gangs", too. I'll have to do more research about females moving in prides; I don't think they do that like African lions. Sometimes you'll see females with her older cubs, though.

They generally don't attack people unless they're sick or threatened, although I wouldn't take any chances. They will absolutely jump your fence to eat your dog or cat and I suspect children are at risk, as well.

[JGug1]

25. Cats

Unlike that magnificent Bobcat, those beauties are VERY dangerous. I know...you know that. That is a remarkable video.

[Laffy Kat]

27. There's another video I was looking for and couldn't find.

It was taken last week, I think. It may have been the same group walking around in the snow through neighborhoods, jumping fences, etc.

[Stuart G]

13. Great Picture & Great Post...K and R.

[Martin Eden]

16. No human athlete can compare

Thanks for sharing.

[Butterflylady]

17. My beloved Oliver could jump 6 ft in the air easy.

He was a Siamese lynx.

But, that lynx is one beautiful animal.

[wendyb-NC]

18. That is amazing.

[DinahMoeHum]

19. (sigh!) Such athletes. . .this is why I love and envy cats.

. . .wild and domestic.




#newrostrong

[noneof_theabove]

21. dead batteries in mental calculator

youtube [link:

]

[RVN VET71]

23. Not all cats are good at math.

But I'm glad I wasn't drinking coffee or my keyboard and screen would be covered with the spray.

[Laffy Kat]

28. That clip cracks me up every time.

Poor kitteh hit the barn door hard! It must have been quite embarrassed.

[yardwork]

32. I love this thread.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

34. He's amazing

The paw shake at the end..such a cat.