Illustration by Consie Powell 



When most people summon an 

 image of a wild cat, they see a fiery- 

 furred tiger padding through a dappled 

 Indian forest. Or perhaps a pride of 

 lions lounging under an umbrella tree 

 on an African plain. Or maybe an 

 emerald-eyed jaguar perched in a tree 



in a South American rain forest. 



But how many of us conjure up a 

 vision of a pint-sized bobcat crouching 

 in North Carolina marsh grasses? 



Though bobcats (Felis rufus) thrive 

 in North America, few people actually 

 ever see these elusive felines or know 



very much about them. They are 

 literally under our noses but out of our 

 sight — possibly because they are 

 active at night or because they are 

 experts at hiding. 



The spotted brownish fur that 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 17 



