State wildlife officials are emphasizing how rare it is for bobcats to injure people, after a rabid bobcat recently hurt three adult camp leaders in Selden Neck State Park in Lyme.
The man was sleeping early Friday when the bobcat attacked him, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
He and two other adult leaders subdued the animal and killed it, officials said.
All three men were taken to a hospital with injuries inflicted by the cat. None of the children on the outing came into contact with the animal, authorities said.
It’s extremely unusual for bobcats to contract rabies because they are less susceptible to the disease than some other animals, said Paul Copleman, a DEEP spokesperson.
"Bobcats are usually a very secretive species that does not want to be around people or seen by people," Copleman said. "So an incident like what we experienced is extremely rare, and is usually associated with a bobcat that is diseased or ill, as was the case in this incident."
Treatment after exposure to rabies to prevent development of the fatal disease is typical, though the department had no information on whether the men who came in contact with the infected bobcat received such treatment.
All of the children on the state Department of Children and Families camp out avoided being hurt.
Over the last two decades in the state, Copleman said there have been only five reported conflicts between bobcats and humans, or bobcats and pets.
"We can count on one hand the number of times we have had to deal with a bobcat interaction of this nature," Copleman said. "It's rare. We don't want people to worry as they are out enjoying their weekends or recreating in the DEEP state park system and outdoors."
Bobcats resemble stocky house cats, with short tails and black tips on their ears. They're about twice as large as a typical house cat.
This story has been updated. Connecticut Public Radio's Patrick Skahill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
