Bobcat kittens find their sweet spot on a Florida golf course
A good walk was spoiled last week, but in the cutest way.
Visitors to the Bonita Fairways Golf Course in Bonita Springs last Monday morning spotted two bobcat kittens frolicking.
Golfer Carol Rodgers told The Naples Daily News that she saw the little critters on the 13th hole. A golf ball that had just been struck caught their attention.
“The two bobcats saw the ball, sniffed it and started playing with it,” Rodgers told the outlet. “They were having lots of fun wrestling with it.”
Rodgers’ resulting photos got more attention for the course than if Tiger Woods himself had a hit a hole-in-one there because, c’mon, these kitties are so goshdarn cute.
The bobcats were likely only about 4 or 5 months old, Dave Onorato, a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told the publication.
That means mom wasn’t far behind, and she might not have been in such a playful mood.
As for the golfer, he was reportedly allowed to take a drop, a golf term that allows a player to avoid a penalty “If the ball arrives in unplayable ground through no fault of the golfer,” according to Golfweek.
Though these wild cats seem mild mannered, it’s best to leave them be. Though bobcats’ main prey are squirrels, rabbits and rats, they have been known to attack humans when afraid.
This was hardly the first time a bobcat was spotted on a Florida fairway.
Back in August, a mom and her furry fam were seen taking a stroll around the parking lot of the St. Lucie Trails Golf Course.
According to the FWC, bobcats are “stealthy animals,” so keep a safe distance to better appreciate the memory.
“Catching even a fleeting glimpse of this secretive and beautiful creature can make anyone’s outdoor experience more enjoyable.”
A bobcat can be taken as a nuisance if is “about to cause property damage, presents a threat to public safety, or causes an annoyance in, under, or upon a building.”
Euthanasia is prohibited, says the agency The felines must be released back into the wild.
This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 10:50 AM.
