,
A family of bobcats (Lynx rufus) has apparently taken up residence in Corrales. Jasmine Tritten was surprised to find four bobcat kittens lounging on a patio wall at dusk August 9. Their mother had left them to hunt for a rabbit or other suitable supper. “They were there for about an hour at dusk,†Jim Tritten told Corrales Comment. North American bobcats are fairly widespread and commonly seen in wooded areas. They are about twice the size of a normal domestic cat. They have short, stubby (bobbed) tails, for which they are named. Also distinctively, they have black horizontal stripes on their forelegs and a black tip on their tails. Bobcats are considered territorial and generally solitary. They are most active around twilight.
Corrales Comment published an earlier photo of a bobcat in the Bosque Preserve in the July 25 issue, headlines “Close Encounter With Bobcat Here.†A frequent bike rider in the Corrales Bosque Preserve, Guy Spencer came across a less frequent visitor: a bobcat, right on the trail.
“I’m an avid mountain biker, and throughout the years, I’ve certainly come across and run into many cool things and experiences,†Spencer recalled after the July 15 encounter.  “This however quite possibly falls into its own little bucket.  I was out on the bosque this morning, getting a cool, quiet ride in around 6 a.m.  I often ride during this time, selfishly taking advantage of the solitude and grace the bosque so unselfishly offers to many of us early bird-ers.