Des Moines Register
04-21-07
Bobcat sighting reported in Ankeny
By TOM BARTON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
A curious and unexpected visitor has caused some alarm for residents in a
southwest Ankeny neighborhood.
Two residents living in a new development along Sawgrass Park in Ankeny
reported seeing a bobcat Friday evening.
Jan Handley, who lives in the Sawgrass development near Southwest 35th
Street, said her next-door neighbor was sitting outside on her porch when she
saw the animal saunter over to inspect her garden.
"She called over to me and said, 'Look, a bobcat,'" she said. "It was about 20 to
25 feet away from her and she could see the rings on the tail and its jowls."
Handley said the animal left without a fuss.
Ankeny police were called and inspected the area, but officers were unable to
locate the animal.
Handley said the sighting has her concerned for the safety of others in the
neighborhood. "I'd hate to have a kid out there hurt," she said.
The area is being developed into a park by the city, which is building walking
trails and bike trails along the 30-acre greenbelt that includes woodlands, open
spaces, a pond and a creek. Crocker Elementary School is nearby.
"We are getting more and more reports of sightings and more reports of
accidental captures," said Todd Gosselink, a wildlife research biologist with the
Iowa Department of Natural Resources who is working on a study with Iowa
State University professor William Clark to track the animal.
According to the study, Iowa's bobcat population is increasing roughly 13 percent
a year. The study estimates there are anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 bobcats in
Iowa.