Global Courant
A bobcat was killed after it attacked a camp leader sleeping in a hammock during a youth expedition in Connecticut, state officials said Friday.
The attack was reported early Friday morning on Selden Neck Island in Selden Neck State Park, and the man and two other adults responded by eventually killing the lynx, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said.
The adults were injured and taken to hospital. Their conditions were not available. The campers had no contact with the bobcat and first responders removed them from the island after the attack, the department said.
The bobcat’s body was transported to a health center to determine if it had rabies, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said.
NBC Connecticut reported that the expedition was part of the Wilderness School, a youth development program through the State Department of Children and Families. The program includes hiking, camping and canoeing expeditions and other activities year-round, according to the website.
Bobcats rarely attack humans because they lead solitary lives, often wandering far, wide and alone in search of prey. But experts say humans are their greatest threatthrough development and urban incursions.
Selden Neck State Park is located about 125 miles northeast of New York City.
Matthew Johnson contributed.
