TYLER, Texas — A recent video of a big cat sighting in Tyler has gone viral.
Nicholas Pet Haven posted the video of the curious cat to their Facebook page Wednesday and it definitely got people talking.
Well, it turns out, the cat is a bobcat.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department confirmed the news to CBS19.
"Bobcats typically have spots with halos. And I can see very vivid halos on the side of this animal." said David Holdermann, TPWD wildlife biologist.
"If you look around the ears, there's a black lining inside, then a white lining and very small tufts on the ends of the ears." Holdermann pointed out other features such as spotting on the inside of the cat's legs and stated it as "Clearly a bobcat."
The TPWD says the South Texas brush country is particularly populated with bobcats. It's less common to spot one in East Texas, according to Texas A&M AgriLife.
"They interface with urban environments very well. And the reason for that is that generally in residential areas, there is a fairly high frequency of cottontail rabbits and things like Tree squirrels. And those are primary foods for bobcat," Holdermann said.
"One way to tell if a bobcat is in the area is by the scratches on tree trunks where the cat sharpens its claws and the climbing scratches on frequently used lookout trees," the TPWD website said.
Smith County Animal Control says bobcats pose no threat unless provoked.
If you would like learn more about bobcats, The Caldwell Zoo is home to two rescues - Liam and Kawoni.
"This looks exactly like the bobcats we have here. Their colors can vary quite a bit from a dark gray to a real light rust color. The one in the picture here is a really light colored one, similar to the ones we have behind me here," said Scotty Stainback, curator of mammals at the Caldwell Zoo.