Govind Tekale
A homeowner in Kirkland, Washington heard loud banging coming from inside her house and did exactly what you’re supposed to do — she called 911. When police arrived and cleared the residence, they found the intruder: a bobcat, perched at the top of the stairs.
The incident happened in Kirkland’s Moss Bay neighborhood. Police believe the animal had climbed a tree next to the house and found its way in through an open upstairs window. The homeowner also has a domestic cat, and investigators believe the bobcat may have been following or pursuing it. The pet cat was unharmed.
Officers used an indoor drone to monitor the bobcat from a safe distance — keeping tabs on exactly where it was in the house without putting anyone physically near the animal. Once wildlife officials from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived, they sedated the bobcat with a tranquilizer. After a veterinary check confirmed the animal was healthy, it was transported and released near Forbes Creek, away from residential areas.
Nobody was hurt — not the homeowner, not the officers, and not the bobcat.
A few practical things worth knowing if you live near wooded areas. Bobcats are wild animals. If one enters a home, the recommended response is to move people and pets away from it and call emergency services — exactly what this homeowner did. Authorities advise keeping pets indoors especially around dusk and dawn, when predators are most active.
