Brunswick family spots group of bobcats in backyard

A Brunswick family started Sunday – New Year’s Day – off with an unusual sight. A group of bobcats was spotted playing and fishing in their backyard.

The bobcats were captured on video – safely – from inside. That’s something the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says is very important.

“They’re a wild animal. You should always give wild animals space,” said Mandy Watson, with DEC. “Overall, bobcats are not exceptionally dangerous. We don’t have many instances of bobcats attacking people. It has happened occasionally. Most of the time, those are rabid animals.”

Watson says bobcats are pretty common in New York, but most people never get the opportunity to see one.

“They do tend to be more active at dusk and dawn, but we do get a fair number of reports of them moving around during the day,” said Watson.

If you see one in your yard, Watson said the best thing you can do is scare it away by waving your arms and making noise.

The DEC says they also want you to report any bobcat sightings.

MORE: Website to report bobcat sightings