A fight between a bobcat and a groundhog isn’t something you expect to see every day. But this little groundhog was not about to let the larger bobcat get the best of him. Let’s just hope that this doesn’t mean even more weeks of winter!
This video begins with the bobcat hurrying down a grassy hill toward the groundhog. The groundhog stays in one place. Will it fight? Will it flee? Without much time to decide, the groundhog freezes as the bobcat approaches it.
The bobcat swats at the groundhog a few times. It is clearly on the offensive and wants to pick a fight. It bops the groundhog on the head and the two roll a few times in the grass. Unwilling to become lunch, however, the groundhog fights back. It is much smaller than the bobcat but manages to make the larger animal retreat a few steps. The groundhog puffs up to show as much size as he can against the predator.
The Groundhog Takes the Day
The groundhog rears up on his back legs as the bobcat goes back to the hill. “That’s right,” the groundhog seems to say as he stares down the bobcat. The bobcat licks at his limbs and his wounded pride, then remembers that he has the upper hand when it comes to size. He goes back down the hill toward the groundhog.
The little rodent isn’t about to let him come back, however. He stares the bobcat down for a full 20 seconds before the larger animal finally decides to go find fun elsewhere. The groundhog keeps an eye on the bobcat as it disappears back into the trees.
The footage was captured at a field in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. This region is home to both groundhogs and bobcats, although they are not known for competing with each other or fighting. In fact, a mature bobcat probably would have eaten the groundhog as a meal. One of the video’s commenters noted that this was likely a “juvenile, inexperienced bobcat.”
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The photo featured at the top of this post is © Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock.com
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