Unusual bobcat and coyote friendship plays out on camera in Texas
The two wild animals usually compete against each other for food and space.
By Ariana Garcia,Assistant News EditorDec 12, 2024
A coyote appears on Melissa Smith's porch while a bobcat lurks in the bushes nearby.
Melissa Smith/DFW Urban Wildlife
Bobcats and coyotes are some of the most elusive animals in Texas. It's not every day humans spot either one of the creatures in the wild, much less interacting with each other. Early Sunday morning, Carrollton, Texas resident Melissa Smith captured a bobcat and a coyote seemingly deep into a game of tag as seen from her doorbell camera between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. While Smith has seen bobcats and coyotes appear on her camera as they peruse her porch at least once a week, likely attracted to the bushes in her front lawn, she's never caught them together at the same time.
"I was worried when I first saw the videos that the coyote might be hunting the bobcat, but then I saw the bobcat following the coyote so I thought maybe they might have been hunting the same prey," Smith told Chron, noting the neighborhood is also home to many rabbits and squirrels. She shared the video with nature photographer and blogger Chris Jackson from DFW Urban Wildlife, who told her it looked like the apex predators were playing together.
"What we have here is a coyote and bobcat playing chase just outside the home's front door," Jackson wrote on Facebook, where he shared the video with his followers. "Coyotes are well known to engage in cross-species friendships. Adult bobcats less so. But a juvenile bobcat, like the one in this video, who until just recently spent all of his time with his mom and siblings, might be more open to a little cross-species play time."
Bobcats are solitary animals and do most of their hunting at night. Coyotes, on the other hand, are very social animals and will usually travel and hunt alone. However, sometimes they join in loose pairs to take down prey. Per the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, bobcats are natural enemies of coyotes, who compete with the felines for food because they share some of the same prey.
"I know having wildlife like coyotes and bobcats in the area makes some people uneasy, but I love it and have never felt threatened by them," Smith said, admitting she does make noise to scare them off if she sees them while walking her dog at night. "I love the diversity of wildlife that we have in the city and the suburbs."
Texas neighborhood caught bobcat and coyote on security camera |
