Sedona AZ: You walk outside to take out the trash or just enjoy some time in your backyard, and depending on what part of the country you're in, you never know what you're going to see. Usually, it's something funny with the neighbors, or maybe something more interesting.
Once in awhile, especially in a place like Sedona Arizona, the famous Southwestern red rock tourist haven, you'll get a wildlife watcher's treat. That's what we got this Saturday, October 6, 2007, while doing routine chores around the property. The birds began chirping, then squawking, as if something major was really posing a threat. Then we laid eyes on it: a wild bobcat, lurking quietly in the brush. Chuck Oldham, co-publisher of Gateway To Sedona, ran to get a closer look and noted the amazing size of this animal, with a shoulder height of almost 2 feet...not your average kitty cat by any stretch.
With camera in hand, Chuck ventured into the wash, a rocky, dry creek bed, which runs behind the yard. He walked a short distance, and there was the bobcat, not 20 feet away, sitting at the edge, with little apparent fear of the human being approaching with a camera. Chuck snapped a few lucky photos, and that was it. This beautiful creature turned and disappeared into the thick bramble of evergreen oaks, with the birds still calling the alarm all along the path as he departed.
This wild bobcat almost seems to pose for a picture! The photos don't really describle how large and magnificent this cat is on a first hand view. As Chuck Oldham noted, "easily three times the size of a housecat."
