SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — It's a sight no one with small children or pets wants to see: a group of bobcats strolling through a residential neighborhood. Bobcats were recently spotted in a 4S Ranch neighborhood and Sunday morning one resident captured video of them.
A woman in the Sevenna housing community spotted three bobcats – two little and one bigger – casually roaming here backyard - and it turns out that wasn't the first sighting.
"I have seen a small one that has come up to our door and it ate our cat food," said resident Khalid Sidiqi's daughter.
Wild life experts say bobcats are pretty common in certain parts of San Diego.
"This is open land - there's going to be bobcats and all sorts of wild animals out there, so it's expected," said Sidiqi.
Sidiqi hasn't spotted any bobcats like his daughters have. But seeing the video his neighbor took of them may have given his family an answer to an ongoing mystery. Their cat, nicknamed Cupcake, disappeared more than a month ago.
Sidiqi's kids don't know if their pet ran away but said they're scared a bobcat ate it.
While experts say bobcats aren't known to attack humans, small pets are another story.
"The only thing you would be fearful for would be if you have a cat roaming out at night," said Leigh Bittner - from the Wildlife Research Institute who has previously spoken with News 8 about the bobcats and the benefits they bring.
"They eat are rabbits, rodents, gophers, ground squirrels - everything everybody complains about," said Bittner.
So, while the sight of bobcats roaming in a neighborhood can be a little startling, residents say they believe the animals are out hunting to keep themselves alive and are not trying to harm humans.
Raw video of bobcats strolling through yard, courtesy of a News 8 viewer who wished to remain anonymous:
RELATED COVERAGE