Animal Reports: Hiker Encounters a Bobcat

Hiker Meets Bobcat

A hiker on the Rails to Trails path near the pond west of Swiss Army reported seeing a bobcat at around 1 p.m. on May 18.

Police said the wildcat displayed normal behavior and posed no public safety threat.

A Bobcat on the Prowl

A Twin Brook Terrace resident reported seeing a bobcat chasing a woodchuck in her yard at 8 a.m. on May 22. An Animal Control officer said there was no safety threat and that it was normal behavior.

Turtle Tears Up Lawn

A Cobblers Hill Court resident complained of lawn damage from a snapping turtle at 1:47 p.m. on May 22. An officer found an adult female turtle laying and burying eggs and advised the homeowner to leave it alone, adding it would leave when it was finished.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Interested in Monroe's news, events, community bulletins, blogs and businesses? Sign up for the free Monroe Patch daily newsletter, "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Otherwise, police said the turtle would just come back. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection phone numbers were given to the homeowner, along with a Snapping Turtle PSA.

It is almost June, which is known as Snapping Turtle Month, a time when adult female turtles leave the water to lay and bury eggs on land.

Raccoon Cubs

A raccoon den was found in a garage attic of a Wheeler Road resident on May 18. The adult ran out of the garage and its babies were removed and placed in a box outside so their mother could come get them at night.

Upon re-checking, police said all of the cubs were collected by the adult female raccoon and taken to a secondary den.

In another incident involving a raccoon youth, a sick or injured raccoon was seen in the backyard on Bart Road at 2:34 p.m. May 17. But Animal Control officers determined the animal was a healthy, immature raccoon.

Raccoon in a Dumpster

A raccoon found in a Dumpster on Teller Road at 2:50 p.m. on May 22 was able to climb out that night after someone dropped a wooden shipping pallet inside the container, which the animal used as a ladder, police said.

Animal Cruelty Alleged

A passerby reported animal cruelty upon seeing a dog left inside a parked car in the Big Y shopping center parking lot, 535 Monroe Turnpike, on May 20. A police officer gave the owner, a resident of Moose Hill Road in Trumbull, a complaint advisory notice. Trumbull Animal Control was also notified for a dog license violation, police said.

One Dies, Other Gets Treatment

A stray cat with no collar died May 17 after being struck by a vehicle on Pepper Street, police said. There were no missing cat reports in the area and nobody claimed ownership of the animal, according to the report. The cat was black with gray stripes.

Another cat injured in a car accident on Elm Street at 8:08 p.m. that same day was found by an officer, the owner was contracted and the pet was brought to a veterinarian for treatment.