This squirrel can only fool a hungry bobcat for so long.
Nature is a harsh mistress. Animals are equipped with plenty of tools to help them either catch their prey or avoid predators. One tactic you may have seen used by squirrels is to continually shift what side of the tree they are on. They do this often to avoid human hunters by constantly circling the trunk, always staying on the side where the human cannot see them.
While the tactic works well against humans, this squirrel has found itself playing the same game with a hungry bobcat in someone's yard.
The big cat is onto the squirrel's survival tactic and eventually, the cat gets what he wants. See it all unfold in the video below.
We get the feeling that this bobcat has played this game before with another squirrel and won. Because the bobcat finally anticipates the squirrel's next move and makes a speedy play to grab the rodent. It may seem cruel, but that is the harsh reality of nature. The bobcat must eat, and the squirrel provides an excellent meal.
It really is a testament to the speed and agility of the bobcat that it was able to catch the squirrel in the place where they are most at home, in the trees. It seems like the squirrel should have tried to go higher rather than lower. It gave the bobcat an opening to jump to the ground and get around the tree faster. Those big paws and powerful legs make these animals to be excellent climbers.
From the palm fronds, we are guessing this video was taken somewhere in Florida where a thriving population of these big cats exists in every county. The abundant supply of small mammals, birds, lizards, snakes and smaller-bodied deer make for excellent natural prey items for these animals.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his YouTube channel.
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