Bobcat Surprises Staff At Sapulpa Herald

A trip to the restroom for a Sapulpa Herald employee took a scary turn when a growling, hissing bobcat jumped out of hiding inside the building. 

Typically, the employees at the Sapulpa Herald newspaper have to leave the office to find the story, but this wild tale came to them.
It's a story that has a little bite if you let it.

"It's not so cute when it's growling," said Darren Sumner with the Sapulpa Herald. 

This 2 or 3-year-old bobcat could be bad news for anyone who comes face to face with him in the wild. 

Sapulpa Herald publisher Darren Sumner almost found that out first hand.

"I went back to the back bathroom and something just jumped out at me so it scared me. My heart started beating pretty fast," Sumner said. 

Sumner said the bobcat most likely got in through an open back door. 

At first, he thought an alley cat got in but this looks nothing like that.

Herald employees thought about opening the door and trying to shoo him out.

But figured doing that would put the bobcat and folks downtown at risk.

So, they called animal control who sent out Reginald Murray with Oklahoma Wildlife Control.

"What kind of damage could he do to somebody. Put you in the hospital," said Murray.

He said the bobcat is just trying to live his best life, and sometimes that brings him to urban areas.

Murray said it's the humans who need to do a better job.

Wasted food thrown away in open trash bins draws in rats and mice, giving the fierce feline access to an easy food source.

"What's going to be easier for you walking into a buffet that's free or run 40 mph to chase down a rabbit. He'll go into the buffet, anybody would," said Murray. 

This is a scary and hairy tale and in Sapulpa one that's making front page news.

"The story came right to us," said Sumner. 
Wildlife experts said they will release the bobcat into a wildlife management area.