The Bobcat

I shared, recently, that this has been an unusual and somewhat disappointing summer for wildlife sightings during my runs. There have been tarantula’s in extreme numbers, and a record year for encounters with one my favorite desert dwellers, the Horny Toad. Other animals seem to be hiding, or avoiding the human on the trail. Or maybe they are waiting for the Monsoon season to arrive (it was a no show).

The wild file is beginning to fill up with some epic photos and videos as the fall begins to unfold in the arid, but, thriving Desert Southwest. I have seen a number of animals, recently, and not just those that possess a rattle.

My photography/video skill level has improved over the summer season of running on Dave’s Trail and this has been a banner year for what I consider the best photos and/or videos of a lengthy list of animals. My best photos of a bobcat would surprisingly unveil as my trail shoes tapped onto my special trail (I think I have seen two people on it all summer).

As I crested the first hill, my eyes darted to an animal crossing my dirt track. My first thought was it was one of the two coyote youngsters I had seen in the same exact location the evening before (their home is very close by). When I have witnessed the coyotes, I have fumbled for my camera, only to see them scurry out of sight, before I can fire a shot off.

I caught sight of a jack rabbit about twenty yards down the dirt track. Ears thrusting to the clouds, these rabbits are still an odd sight. My eyeballs about fell out when I spotted a bobcat hiding within the brush a handful of feet to my right. Neither the animal with the ears nor the bobcat seemed to be concerned with my presence. They both must have seen me go by extremely slowly, in the past. Not a threat in running shoes.

I took a few quiet steps toward the bobcat. Some excitement in the air as this was my first bobcat this summer. I usually see two or three over the oven baked season that is summer.

Feline eyeballs were focused on hoppity ears, but the scene was playing out very slowly. This was likely a very young bobcat having been ‘kicked’ out of the home and was experiencing his first days on his own. Not totally at home with hunting and not leary of humans, I was enthralled to witness nature in the wild.

Hoppity ears crossed the trail and the bobcat lazily took the bait. Seeming to be more amused at seeing an animal that was 63% ears, than needing to have a meal, the bobcat sat on the hillside for 10+ minutes, gazing ahead. Gazing, but not grazing.

I was about thirty feet away, snapping photos and getting some jumpy video on my non-stabilized point and shoot camera. It was getting dark and I got a rare look from the bobcat as I tried to get even closer. He eventually moved up the hillside, never ringing the dinner bell. I took off down the trail only to see an owl, about thirty feet away, in a tree next to the trail.

Photo of a jack rabbit from the day after seeing the bobcat. This must be ‘the’ jack rabbit as I have come across exactly one rabbit that I can get close to (and that a certain bobcat can get close to). These hoppers are super duper skittish and when I enter the same zip code they smash their paws against the dirt in frantic rhythm and escape.

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The Monster

It was a rather unusual week at the casa in Catalina, Arizona. The week started grindingly slow and as we headed into the weedend it was verging on dawdle time. Yes, there was March Madness time and the tv was airing the pregame hype of the Arizona vs Wisconsin game. March Madness didn't do much for my search for stories and/or photos, but 8 words would change the story line. "There is a bobcat in the back yard" gushed my father.

Wildlife has given us lots of love at the Nevins casa, with sojourns from bobcats, coyote, hawk, deer, javelina (that visit is worth it's own story!), gambel quail (with a troop of little paws).

A guest had asked my mother why she had not taken down all of the halloween decorations. That 'decoration' happened to be a roaming tarantula.

With those 8 words, I sprang for my Canon. John, our company, sprang for his camera and we met on the back deck, eyeing the small palm tree, where the feline had last been seen. The bobcat leaped onto the back wall and bounded into the neighbors yard.

My camera, clenched in my hand, the same number of photos available as when I had grabbed camera, a few minutes ago.

I had missed the opportunity.

The Gila Monster Video #1

I knew the 'usual' route of the bobcat and I gave marching orders to John to follow me and we should be able to catch the 'visitor' near the wash. I zipped down the right side of the house, feet moving quickly from flagstone to flagstone until I veered left, toward the street. It is always exciting when you are running hard with an expensive camera in hand. I looked back to see if John was nearby, and saw nothing.

This animal distraction was perfect timing. The Arizona Wildcats were getting pasted and I had been avoiding the tv. Where was John? I was in position for an award winning photograph(?). The bobcat came right toward me, just as I expected. He or she did make a slight change in the usual stroll through the wash and over to the golf course. I fired off 2 or 3 shots and the fur ball was gone. John?

Bobcat

Back at the house I heard another 8 words (or something like that). 'There is a Gila Monster in the back yard'.

Ok, 9 words.

The Gila Monster is one of only a handful of venomous lizards in the world.

They may spend more than 95% of the lives in underground burrows, emerging only to feed and occasionally to bask in the desert sun. Another reference had indicated up to 98%.

They are considered a threatened species and are rarely seen above ground.

A component of Gila monster venom called exendin-4 was recently investigated for treating type-2 diabetes. This peptide stimulates the secretion of insulin in the presence of elevated blood glucose levels. It also has the effect of slowing gastric emptying. Phase 1 clinical studies have recently begun with this exciting experimental drug.

The Gila Monster Video #2

The story unfolded............John did follow me, sort of. He first used his brain and headed toward the left side of animal house. Shorter route then going right. Sounds good on paper but there is no real passage on this side of the house. The 5 million watt AC sits square in the way of about anything except maybe a Gila Monster, or other small critter. He crossed paths with the monster and that got his attention. Forget the bobcat. I would never have come across the Gila Monster, even if he/she had been on that side of the house for the next 10 years. The odds?

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