Homeowner stunned after unexpected encounter with large predator in backyard: 'I'll be very careful'

In an ideal world, wild animals would be able to maintain stable populations in well-balanced ecosystems forever. Unfortunately, our world is changing, and humans are a big part of why. When that happens, it can lead to tensions between humans and animals, including potentially dangerous encounters, like this one recently reported by Chron.

What's happening?

Missouri City, Texas, homeowner Judi Carlsson was minding her own business in her own backyard in May when she noticed something was amiss. Her cats refused to come outside with her, and a group of ducks were startled into flight.

That's when she saw an unexpected visitor: a bobcat crouched in her suburban yard. It seemed calm, which emboldened her to take several pictures, but it was definitely out of place.

According to Carlsson, it seemed obvious why the bobcat was suddenly in such an unexpected place after having never paid a visit before. The local woodland had been destroyed for development. "All of that was forest a few months ago," she told KHOU, per Chron. "So it's pushing a lot of the animals."

Why is this bobcat sighting important?

This isn't the first time a bobcat has been spotted in a residential area. Other homeowners have had similar encounters — and one was even attacked by one.

That's the problem with these up-close and personal wildlife sightings: They're dangerous for both the people involved and the animals. A startled or cornered animal can lash out, even ones that are known for being timid or only eating plants. Even if all parties make it out unscathed, the animal may later be put down for public safety reasons. Wildlife encounters may seem exciting on the surface, but they're not a trivial matter.

They're more common in situations when humans are encroaching on or destroying wildlife habitats, which happens more frequently as dwindling animal populations are pushed into smaller areas to make room for human developments. There's less and less room for wild animals to just be wild animals and maintain healthy populations. If we're not careful, we could lose these beautiful creatures and all the good their ecosystems do us, like controlling flooding and providing food.

What's being done about close wildlife encounters?

For Carlsson, it's a matter of being cautious. "When I do gardening, I'll be very careful," she said. "I'll have a second pair of eyeballs on the back of my head looking for him to come around."

But for the wider world, conservation efforts are the only answer to keep wild areas wild for the animals that need them and the people that rely on them.

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