SAN ANTONIO, Texas – While curiosity usually kills the cat, it seems to have given birth to a whole lot of theories among people in one northwest Bexar County neighborhood.
In a Facebook post Monday night, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office announced that it had received a report about a “large cat” sighting.
The post says the animal, described as dark in color with a long tail, was spotted in the backyard of a home in the 10400 block of Foxen Way.
The home is in a subdivision off Bandera Road near Helotes. The area backs up to a greenbelt not far from Government Canyon State Park.
“When I first read it, I thought ‘mountain lion,’” said Rebekah Taylor, who was strolling through the area Tuesday morning with her two young children in a stroller. “My husband, kind of laughed at me. He’s, like, ‘There are no mountain lions over here.’ He thinks it’s a bobcat.”
Down the street, Travis Willingham and Autumn Gilbert have been keeping a close eye on their dog since hearing the news.
The couple said they found out about the wildcat sighting by way of a text message.
“I was outside and it was dark because I had just gotten home,” Gilbert said. “I, like, kind of, ran inside.”
The alert from BCSO warned people in the neighborhood to be on alert and keep their distance if they do spot the animal.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told KSAT 12 News that, so far, there are no pictures or video of the cat.
At this time, it is unclear what type of animal it was.
KSAT 12 News located the family who made the call to the sheriff’s office.
One man in the home, who did not want to be identified, said he and several relatives noticed the animal in their backyard.
He said initially, he thought it was a panther, then theorized it might be a jaguarundi.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, there are seven different wildcats in the state, with bobcats and mountain lions being the most common.
Others including, the jaquarundi, jaguar, margay, feral cat, and ocelot are more rare.
Earlier this year, a resident of a nearby neighborhood off Scenic Loop shared video with KSAT 12 News showing what appeared to be a bobcat.
The sheriff’s office said after this latest sighting, deputies have put out traps in the area and are keeping a close eye on the neighborhood.
Anyone who may have captured video or pictures of the animal, perhaps on security cameras, is asked to send them to the sheriff’s office at bcsotips@bexar.org.