A group of golfers in Arizona witnessed a special sight over the weekend when a bobcat hunted down a rabbit right in front of them in broad daylight. One of the golfers, Bradley Leavitt, recorded the scene on his phone and shared the video to Instagram on Sunday.
“It is very common to see rabbits all over the golf course here in AZ. Occasionally you will see a bobcat,” Leavitt wrote in the post. “Rarely do you see a bobcat in full hunt mode with complete disregard of any nearby golfers.”
Sitting in their golf cart, the players watch as the bobcat stalks its prey from the tee box. The cat slinks down the fairway, taking a few quick steps and then freezing while crouching low to the ground. With its belly rubbing the grass, the bobcat makes a wide loop around the unsuspecting rabbit.
Then, in a sudden burst of speed, the bobcat sprints toward the rabbit on the edge of the fairway. Caught flat-footed, the rabbit tries to run but it’s too late. After a brief tumble in the sand, the bobcat bites down on the rabbit’s neck and kills it.
“Oh my gosh, that bunny is toast,” one of the golfers says as the bobcat walks back across the fairway with the limp rabbit hanging from its mouth.
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As Leavitt pointed out, it’s rare to see bobcats hunting this close to people. The wily cats typically stalk their prey during lowlight hours far from view. It’s possible that this bobcat was accustomed to humans on the course, or it could have been so hungry that it was willing to take the risk.
“Glad you didn’t interfere. They have to be desperate for food to expose themselves in this way,” one commenter wrote on Leavitt’s post. “Sorry for rabbit, but Bobby has to eat.”
