Locals report bobcat and mountain lion sightings around Carson City
With snow reaching Carson City and lower western Nevada elevations this month, many residents have said they've spotted more wildlife including coyotes, bobcats and recently mountain lion.
Millie Karol took this photo of a bobcat spotted Thursday morning in the Timberline area above Carson City. The second photo submitted by JJ Wiest are fresh tracks left by a mountain lion that Wiest said they spotted Wednesday evening.
The mountain lion they spotted and its tracks were found less than 1/4 mile west of Carson Middle School, said Wiest.
A Nevada Department of Wildlife spokeswoman, Ashley Sanchez, notes that predators such as bobcats and mountain lion are common throughout western Nevada.
Some residents have suggested that heavy snow has brought the cats down to lower elevation for food sources. That’s not necessarily the case, NDOW says. With the lower elevation snowfall, the animals are leaving tracks that are easier to spot.
“It is easier to spot them in the snow,” said Sanchez. “This is a good reminder to be aware we are in wildlife territory and it is important to be sure to keep pets in at dusk and dawn when the cats are the most active, to keep children and pets close to you and secure your trash and any other attractant.”