MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — A baby bobcat has gone missing from a zoo in northwest Indiana, and while officials are asking for help finding her they say she shouldn’t be approached.
Grace, a 9-month-old bobcat from the Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City, has escaped from her exhibit enclosure and the zoo. Grace and her sister Hazel arrived at the zoo in December and have been housed in a habitat designed for their species since April.
Photos of Grace and the enclosure she went missing from can be seen below:
Zoo officials said this week that they are not sure yet how exactly Grace escaped her enclosure, but that she poses no threat to humans if let alone.
“Like coyotes and foxes, bobcats are native to this area,” Zoo Director Jamie Huss said. “Due to her age and size, Grace will likely not be a threat to humans or most animals as long as she is left alone. Bobcats are quiet, secretive and active from dusk to night; and as with all wildlife, the natural response of a bobcat is to move away from humans.”
Huss said zoo staff are concerned for Grace’s safety.
“Grace is roughly the size of a large housecat,” she said. “Her prey would range from chipmunks to rabbits and smaller. We are concerned for her safety, and have continued to set live traps and trail cameras in hopes of a sighting and recapture.”
In addition to zoo staff, local police and animal control units have been assisting in the search for Grace. Anyone in the area is being asked to immediately report any sightings to the Michigan City Police Department’s non-emergency phone number at (219) 874-3221.
