SAFETY HARBOR, FLA. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating after a bobcat was discovered dead in a Safety Harbor neighborhood.
The homeowner found the bobcat hanging from a tree limb.
Wildlife advocates with Birds in Helping Hands arrived to the Country Villas neighborhood on Timberview Drive last week.
"It's really sad to see it’s such a magnificent animal just hanging there. Out of respect, you wanted to get it down and also to find out, hopefully, identify what really caused its death," said Fred Brisard.
Fred Brisard arrived and took photographs of the animal.
"I grew up in Florida. I grew up in Central Florida so I had seen bobcats before, but being so urban, I guess, I was surprised to see such a big animal in this area," he said.
Aaron Edmound Tonry, owner of Element Tree care, assisted wildlife advocates and removed the animal from the tree.
FWC officials are investigating and performing a necropsy to determine how the animal died. Results from the necropsy are expected in a few weeks.
Wildlife advocates, including Fairl Thomas with Birds in Helping Hands believe the animal died from rat poison.
"We know it was a non-natural death just looking at the big picture. It’s not normal for a big cat to die up a tree. It obviously died in the position that it was in, it was not stuck. A lot of people have asked me, are you sure its leg wasn’t wedged or something of that nature," Thomas said.
Thomas said rodenticide is a nationwide issue impacting predators. It can also be harmful to pets and children.
A group of volunteers created “Save the Owls." It started as a grassroots effort in Spring of 2021 when a beloved family of Great Horned Owls suddenly began to die in Philippe Park. The group works to educate people about the dangers of rodenticide poisoning and encourage people to use safer alternatives.
The group also rescues, rehabilitates and documents wildlife that die from rodenticide poisoning.
"It's not normal for us to find a bobcat dead up a tree. They’re such athletic, nimble animals that can climb very well. It just does not make sense for one to be dead
in a tree, let alone, dead in the position that it was in. It puts up all of the red flags," said Thomas.
For more information visit: https://safetyharborowls.weebly.com/
Meteorologist Denis Phillips has an update on Hurricane Milton as it regains strength and the track shifts south.
