Bobcat Catches Shark: Top of 2015

Editor’s note: This story originally ran on Patch in April 2015. It is part of our look back at some of the top softer news stories that had folks talking this year.

Sharks might be one of the scariest predators in the ocean, but it seems little ones aren’t much of a match for bobcats.

At least that was the case Monday night at Sebastian Inlet State Park near Vero Beach. A park visitor was fortunate enough to witness proof of that fact in person, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Facebook page.

“John Bailey, who took this amazing picture, spotted a bobcat staring into the water at Sebastian Inlet State Park last evening while he was taking a stroll,” the FWC post stated. “He realized the cat was transfixed on a shark feeding on smaller fish. Suddenly, the bobcat leaped into the water atop the shark and dragged it ashore.”

Bailey was able to snap a photograph of the unusual encounter, but it seems the bobcat got spooked by its observer.

“The cat dropped its catch and ran into the forest,” FWC reported, joking that the feline was “mighty brazen.”

See Also:

• Huge Florida Shark Swarm Caught on Film
• Great White Shark Attacks Fishing Boat
• Shark Bites Girl in Florida Waters
• Hammerhead Shark Causes Panic on Florida Beach
• Florida Named Scariest State in America

While some questioned the veracity of Bailey’s photo, FWC officials believe it’s quite real.

“A few of our experts looked at the photo and agreed with bobcat,” the agency wrote on its Facebook page, acknowledging that the distinctive bobcat ears are hard to see in the picture. Even so, “if you enlarge the photo, you can see the spots on the hind legs especially.”

With debate raging about the authenticity of the shot, National Geographic also turned to some of its experts for opinions.

Seth Riley, a wildlife biologist at the University of California, told National Geographic staff that he’s never seen anything like the shot, but admits the behavior doesn’t surprise him.

The publication’s photo editor, Ken Geiger, examined the image, which was taken on an iPhone 6, and couldn’t find anything to suggest it wasn’t authentic.

FWC spokeswoman Liz Barraco says it’s the first time the agency has seen a bobcat fishing in saltwater, but points out that these critters are “opportunistic predators.”

As for the shark in the picture, state biologists say its is likely an Atlantic sharpnose.And, while Florida doesn’t enforce shark-fishing regulations for bobcats, it does for people. To find out more about the state’s rules, visit FWC online.

Sebastian Inlet made news last week also when an aerial photographer managed to capture shots of a large shark swarm. Those shots were taken by Indian River by Air just one day before a man was bitten by a shark in the Jupiter Inlet.

Photo from the FWC Facebook page/John Bailey