Biking With Bobcats Tonight In River Legacy Park While Looking For Olive The Missing Prairie Dog

River Legacy Bobcat

Tonight I decided to expand the search for Olive the Missing Prairie Dog to River Legacy Park in Arlington.

That and I've decided I don't get enough exercise.

That is not a dog in the picture. That is a River Legacy Park bobcat. It had been a couple years since I've had a bobcat encounter.

My first bobcat encounter was on the River Legacy mountain bike trail. Years ago. It was during a period of time when there were reports of cougar sightings along the Trinity River.

I was pedaling fast, deep in the woods of the mountain bike trail, when suddenly I saw a bobcat. I was sure it was waiting to pounce on me and have me for lunch. I skidded to a stop and had a stare down with the beast. Then I high tailed it out of there, going the wrong way on the one-way trail to hurry to warn the park ranger of the imminent bobcat danger.

When I found a ranger she acted like I was a silly kid getting all excited over nothing. Because, as it turns out, I was.

Politely Posing

I have had many bobcat encounters in the years since my first. I long ago learned if you act nonchalant, so does the bobcat.

When I saw the bobcat tonight, he was walking towards me on the paved trail. I stopped. He kept walking towards me. I got out my camera. Started taking pictures. He did not mind. He was intently studying something up in a tree.

After a couple minutes a pair of bikers came upon our serene scene and the bobcat ran into the bushes. The first biker saw what I was taking pictures of. He did not look too alarmed.

I think I am done with trying to get more exercise for the evening. I will try and be sedentary until morning when I go swimming.