Unofficial mascot: 3-pawed bobcat charms northeast Calgary community
Calgary’s southeast streets had ‘Turk’ to call their unofficial mascot, but now, residents in the city’s northeast communities have an ambassador of their own.
“It's fun to see him,” said Paul Caddigan, who lives in Harvest Hills. “He’s pretty relaxed, and he’s pretty agile.”
Caddigan is talking about a three-pawed bobcat. He first spotted the feline outside his front window last month, lounging in the sun on his patio furniture.
“He had its head up against the pillow,” said Caddigan. “He was here for about three, four hours.”
Caddigan says the animal has been making its rounds through the northeast like Coventry Hills, Panorama, Country Hills, Hidden Valley and Sandstone, so he’s not sure when or if it will return to their porch.
“I'm just gonna let him be and he'll grab his birds or rabbits or whatever he does,” Caddigan said. “And if it comes back, (I’ll) just let it do its thing again.”
The feline’s fame took off online in a community forum called Nextdoor.
The sex of the bobcat has not been confirmed, but according to Caddigan, area residents believe it is male and have named it ‘Stumpy.’
The feline’s fame took off online in a community forum called Nextdoor.
“There’ll be pictures posted of the cat online all the time,” said Lloyd Koshman, another resident of Harvest Hills.
Adding, he doesn’t mind having Stumpy around. “We’re perfectly fine with it, we moved into his territory,” he said.
While residents are leaving the bobcat alone, there are other tips on how to be a good neighbour to Calgary’s wildlife.
“We just advise people to give (animals) space,” said Holly Lilly, the executive director of the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation. “And not to have attractants in their garden, whether that’s food or garbage and things like that, so that you can provide that humane exclusion if you don't want them.”
Removing sources of food, water, and shelter, will help keep bobcats and other wildlife away, according to a spokesperson with Alberta’s Justice and Solicitor General. If there is concern for an animal's well-being, it’s best to leave it alone, and call the nearest fish and wildlife office for advice.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler is being disciplined for not having bodycam activated
The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving “corrective action” for failing to have his body-worn camera activated.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account – and the life-changing moment was caught on video.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Students at Curé-Antoine-Labelle High School near Montreal are protesting after they say their school's administration started pushing what they call a 'sexist' dress code.
Air travel is expensive. WestJet wants the government to do more to change that
WestJet is asking the federal government to put measures in place to lower ticket costs for travellers, but questions remain on who would foot the bill.
Hundreds have applied for this 'adventurer' job in Banff National Park
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
Dangerous brew: Ocean heat and La Nina combo likely mean more Atlantic hurricanes this summer
Get ready for what nearly all the experts think will be one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, thanks to unprecedented ocean heat and a brewing La Nina.
U.S. senators write to Trudeau asking him to meet 2% GDP defence spending commitment
A bipartisan group of 23 U.S. senators have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging his country to live up to its commitment to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence amid concerns that key members of the NATO alliance are not pulling their weight.
Potential tornado 'surreal' for residents who witnessed damaging storm in southern Ontario
Witnessing a potential tornado was 'surreal' for residents who caught a glimpse of the damaging storm in southern Ontario on Wednesday night.