BROOKFIELD, Mass. (TheBlaze/AP) — A man in Massachusetts says all he heard was a hiss before a bobcat pounced on him in his own garage, sinking its teeth into his face and its claws in his back.
“It was on me in a split second,” he said following the attack. “I have bite marks in my eyelid, up my forehead. It scratched my back. I was bleeding like crazy.”
Photo Credit: AP
Roger Mundell Jr. went into the garage in Brookfield on Sunday morning to fetch some tie-down straps for a friend when the animal attacked. The Boston Globe has more:
On Sunday, Mundell, 53, said he was thankful that it was him, not his wife or nephew, who walked into the garage.
“It would have killed my wife,” he said. “I know it would have.”
Mundell said he was lucky to be wearing a thick jacket. When the bobcat attacked him, he managed to pull the jacket — with the bobcat clinging to it — over his head, throwing the 40-pound animal off. Bleeding, he ran for the door. As he slammed it behind him, he heard the bobcat thud into the glass.
It then ran out of the garage and bit Mundell’s 15-year-old nephew on the arms and back.
Mundell and his wife pinned the cat to the ground and shot it dead with a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380.
Photo Credit: AP
Mundell, his nephew and his wife, are being treated for rabies. His wife wasn’t bitten, but got the animal’s blood on her.
State Environmental Police took the bobcat to have it tested for rabies, which they think is likely given its unusual behavior.
“This is completely out of character for a bobcat, even to be in the garage in the first place,” said Tom French, assistant director for the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, according to The Boston Globe. “It is completely consistent with an animal that may have rabies.”
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Comments (66)
David in OKC
Jan. 8, 2013 at 12:00amAs usual, we won’t get to hear the bobcats side of the story because it’s now dead. Mr. Bobcat was probably just returning from the store with some tea and skittles for his kittens when he decided to take a shortcut through this mans garage after seeing the sign outside that read “Gun Free Zone” which was probably placed there only to make all bobcats feel safe upon entering. You know how us gun crazy 2nd ammendment radicals are? We love shooting poor defenseless bobcats just to watch them die and simply claim that we were just standing our ground afterwards.
(As a matter of fact, yes, I am being sarcastic)
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hrsurv
Jan. 7, 2013 at 4:11pm40 pound Bobcat! That seems a little large for that animal. The guy didn’t try and take the Big Mac out of it’s mouth did he?
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sillyfreshness
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:08pmWe must ban guns. Then this guy could have tried to kill it with a stick. While we’re at it, let’s ban bobcats-just for good measure.
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dcgirl
Jan. 7, 2013 at 2:31pmDo you think the idiots from Boulder will now have a prayer vigil for the bobcat? Obviously it loved the homeowner but was just misunderstood.
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Imprimatur
Jan. 7, 2013 at 3:35pmStill waiting for a reply from folks in Boulder.
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Two Sheds
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:24pm=D Beat me to it!
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beachj11
Jan. 7, 2013 at 2:02pmIf Obama had a bobcat, it would have looked just like this one. *sniffle, sniffle*
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rs9
Jan. 7, 2013 at 2:30pmIs that the same bob cat that was released from the trap last week?
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Woody4USA
Jan. 7, 2013 at 1:49pmWhy is it always the case where Bobcats, Fishercats or any animal that acts like they normally do when confronted by a human it’s always assumed that it has rabies? Sorry folks but it’s what they do. 40 lbs. sounds a bit big, 20-25 lbs. here in MA. is the average. My 11 year old son just tracked one in the snow near the house and he said it was as big as a young fawn and was real surprised it didn’t turn on him when he got about 30 yards from it. I told him it was tracking him not the other way around. His 10 pump Crossman pelet gun he had with him was a bit short on firepower and may have been only a club if he didn’t back off when he did. These Cats fear nothing and my young “Davey Crockett” may have meet his match that afternoon.
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steelpanther
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:46pmI find it funny that once this thing got out of the garage it didn’t run away and instead attacked someone else. I can see the attack in the garage, it was trapped, but to let itself be put in position for them to HOLD IT DOWN so they could shoot it? Does sound like rabies.
I have a book, full of really awesome photos of North American large cats, “Forest Cats of North America” and it’s about Cougars, bobcats and lynx. It’s worth the money for the photos alone. One of the stories in it are about one taking down a grown deer by attacking itself to it’s side and basically eating it’s heart out while it was still alive. Got to do what you got to do, but I do know they are vicious things, but it still seems unnatural though I’m no expert.
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ADNIL
Jan. 7, 2013 at 1:31pmI had to go to work very early one day before anyone else got there to take care of a pesticide application. I went into the bathroom which was small, about 4′ x 7′ , before I suited up. As soon as I closed the door, I heard growling behind me. I turned around to see large feral tomcat on the shelf by the door. We were both trapped in there. There was nothing to do but to reach by him to open the door. As soon as I began to reach towards the door, he flew off the shelf and attached himself to my face and ripped me up good. When I finally got the door open, he jumped off of me and ran out. Nasty, mangy, feral tomcat was probably only 15 or 20 pounds.
I had to go to the emergency room to get stitched up and get shots.
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steelpanther
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:53pmDon’t know if it’s true, but I remember reading a story on a forum of some guy’s roommate in college finally had enough of this beat to hell old feral tom cat’s yowling and decided he was going to go kill it with a broom or a pipe and everyone around tried to talk him out of it. Apparently they had to load him into an ambulance in a stretcher and he lost an eye.
I love cats, not sure if that story is true, but being around cats all my life and having some massive tom cats, it comes across as plausible but I’m not sold that it is true.
I found it funny one of those massive toms we had was a black and white, very pretty even after he got beat up, but the strange thing was with as much fight as he gave us when we where giving him a flea bath, he never did scratch us, he fought like hell, but he never put his claws out, but yet the small ones tore the hell out of us.
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OniKaze
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:51amI love Bobcats… They are such neat animals. I have a 1/2 breed at home, and I love her very much. She doesn’t get along with humans she doesn’t know, but when they are around she just goes and hides (she will not appear in front of a person she doesn’t know, let alone get close enough to interact with them).
But I can attest, that my 1/2 breed (which weighs in at about 30 lbs.) is FULL of muscle, and when it REALLY wants to do something, its best to just get out of her way, and let her do it… Bobcats are smart and typically very well behaved (unless threatened, starving, or rabid). The worst thing mine does is knock over my clothes hamper all the time to hide and “nest” in the clothes… Other than that, she behaves much like a typical house cat, just a big one…
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The_Cabrito_Goat
Jan. 7, 2013 at 12:16pmThat’s awesome, I’ve always wanted one. How did you get a bobcat? They’re extremely rare
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shorelineliz
Jan. 7, 2013 at 1:30pm30 pounds of muscle? I fear for you. Listen. These are wild animals. They can change and attack at any time. This is not good common sense. AT all.
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Nanzcam
Jan. 7, 2013 at 7:38pmI think they are beautiful! I bet they can really do some damaged if provoked.
Check out this video …
http://youtu.be/GbhkXg9iFYA
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American_Made
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:00am40 lbs is a well fed bob cat. Around here they are about 25 to 30 lbs max. In Oregon they have lots of food too. Either the cat was sick which is kind of strange at 40 lbs or there is more to the story. Either way the cat had a bad ending. You all know what you call someone who does not carry a gun…..a victim.
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LetUsReason
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:27amDon’t you think it’s time we ban bobcats?
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SILAS
Jan. 7, 2013 at 12:32pmYou know the Bobcat was originally known as “Robert”
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SpartanPride
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:31amThis could be the topic for today’s Rev. Al Sharpton show. March for bobcat rights, stop the brutality.
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Marine 1
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:03amBeing armed is also a good idea just in case someone attempts to break into your home and hurt your family, hurt you, try to steal something, or the government goes south and tries to take our guns from U.S. (Of course the latter would never happen.) We all live in “La La Land” where life is wonderful everyday.
Right!?
Oh, you may want to check your garage for attacking wildlife such as bobcats, mountain lions from the wild outdoors, or out-of-control politicians who we thought were contained in the zoo called the District of Corruption. Just be more aware of your surroundings.
Hint: Shoot first ask questions later. You’ll be doing U.S. all a huge favor.
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Kevcar
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:25amJust a FYI, the second picture isn’t a Bobcat, it’s a Lynx. If you look at the ears, you see a tuft at the tips. That’s a defining characteristic of a Lynx. I’m sure your all shocked that the AP would make a mistake.
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txannie
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:43amSo my little striped kitten with tufts on it’s ears born in my closet to my black & white barn cat…does that make her a lynx? She’s like a mini-kitty at 5 years old and had many more like herself. I think we are way too far south for Mommy kitt to have had an encounter with a lynx. Tufts on ears on cats are really common here. Even shortened, but not stubby, tails. Spots on cream belly’s with stripes and spots or no markings on a tawny body. Even the siamese and black/white ones have tufts on thier ears. Very pretty, but not lynx or bobcat. But, I have to say, barn cats are very different from house cats. People that abandon house cats out here thinking they can live in the farmers’ barn don’t realize that they are sentencing them to a very painful death. They just don’t have what it takes like barn cats do. The barn cats litters are tougher and live a whole lot longer. They are however all colors and smaller than house cats. Just my experience over the last 50 years of farm/ranch living wayyyy out in the country. Just my ramblings for the day…..
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Kevcar
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:24amAt 40 lbs this obviously isn’t a barn cat so I’m not sure what your trying to refer to. 5 seconds worth of research will bear out that a Lynx is “larger and paler than a Bobcat…..with longer ear tufts and legs”. From the Golden nature guides -sponsored by The Wildlife Management Institute. But I’m sure they don’t have any idea what the heck they are talking about and it’s a big barn cat -they are a separate species of cat than house cat you know. Right.
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hrtofasoldier
Jan. 7, 2013 at 1:00pmSorry KEVCAR but your wrong. I try to stay out of these silly online discussions but your cynicism and or overt arrogance annoys me. Both picture’s in the above article are that of the lynx rufus aka: north American bobcat, neither is that of the lynx Canadensis aka: Canadian lynx. As you mentioned to another commenter, 5 seconds of research would do you well. Yes, there is much more to this obviously skewed report. 40 lbs. bobcat in that part of the country – not going to happen – unless it’s a pet or at best a biological anomaly. FYI, I’ve studied North American “wildcats” for numerous years up to including having them live directly in my presence and I’m still NO expert. Oh’ lastly, the “lynx” which once occupied 11 states along the within lower North America only occupies one state now with any reasonably breeding populations and that state is Montana (.) – Sincerely, hrtofasoldier
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Msgt Ret
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:01amI’m wondering if this cat had been caught in a live trap and he was trying to tame it, it got loose and attacked him when he entered the garage to get the tie-downs! It just seems way out of character for this animal to be in a garage unless being held there!
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Back To Reality
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:25amDon’t believe this story for a second. There is more to it, and likely it involves prior unwise behavior by the “victim” who simply didn’t realize that there ain’t nothing nice about nature.
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Wolf
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:08amYup- sounds suspicious to me, too… I think it’s those darn gun-rights people pushing for less gun control and trying to show concealed carry handguns save lives.
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katzkiner
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:32amBobcats fear nothing. They usually don’t attack, but they go any where they like and they don’t share space well. If you see one RUN to an enclosure and don’t come out with less than a 12 gauge. I found this out at 11 years of age.
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RobbieTLHughie
Jan. 7, 2013 at 12:26pmSuspicious of this story… What the Hell?
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infidelsaplenty
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:22amWhat intrigues me is that two people could pin down a 40lb. bobcat. Those things are muscle, teeth, claws, and pure fury!
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Nightfox
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:40amYeah, I was thinking the same thing. There has to be something more to this story. A bobcat will not attack people. They will run. Rabies, maybe.but Highly doubtful. Clubs in the place where the bobcat was most likely.
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Elena2010
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:46amDo you mean “cubs” not “clubs”? If so, it’s winter, and they birth in spring.
Rabies was my first thought since most wild cats prefer the wild to a garage, let alone people and our scent.
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lordjosh
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:51amYou would be amazed at what one can do when such situations arise. The cat was attacking their young nephew. Instinct and adrenaline take over.
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The-Monk
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:17amSounds like that Bobcat that was freed from that leg trap finally found the trapper……
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AmericanStrega
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:54amMy exact thought when I read the headline!
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omgfolks
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:49amAnother GUNS OWNER SAVED BY OWNING A GUNS. Hope there is no rabies . Now they have the animal to test for rabies and it won’t hurt anyone else.
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taintso
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:46amSince the wildlife belongs to the State, hence the need for hunting license, Shouldn’t the State be responsible for vaccinating their animals for Rabies and misbehavior? I am sure that if it was a Residents animal they would be in jail by now.
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americansfightingforcommonsense
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:54amWell, thankfully the animal was vaccinated with a Smith and Wesson! That will protect the rest of the home owners in the area. Great Job!
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Elena2010
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:49amWildlife rabies vaccines are not all that easy to administer to carnivores. Omnivores are easy — it’s put in pellets and cast about. Besides, the surety of a rabies vaccine for wild life is not as sure as that for domestic animals.
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BehindBlueEyes
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:39amHe’s not out of the woods yet. He could still come down with cat scratch fever.
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jcldwl
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:42amThanks for the laugh.
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Fubared
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:52amCat scratch fever is a real kick **** sickness. You don’t want it, it sucks, had a spinal tap to figure out if it was meningitis or cat scratch. Bad juju and the fever was a weeks worth of fun.
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ares338
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:20amThis is why I am armed every second while on my property. I have coyotes, bobcats, the occasional feral hog and the infamous Democratis Horribilis. The latter being the only creature truly worthy of extinction.
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RJJinGadsden
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:26amI am in a rural area too, we have lots of snakes when the weather is worm, and the occasional bobcat, or coyote is nothing unusual. I carry when out and about on the property too.
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jcldwl
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:42amI see no reason to ever go anywhere unarmed. I don’t live in the country and I am armed at all times on my postage stamp property as well. My concern is not wildlife so to speak though.
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yougottabekidding
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:46amAlways in or out in the last couple of years.
There are a lot more feral animals out there then the ones with fur
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dont-care-anymore
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:08amheres one for peta … staple a feral cat up a tree about 6 ft off the gorund, set a leg hold trap right under the “bait” the cat will last a few days cryin and wollerin and draw the lynx/bobcat in.
when the bobcat jumps to get the cat he gets caught .. you have now solved two problems, one less feral bird killin cat and a nice fur for your next winter hat
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Elena2010
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:53amIf you look at real stats not the made up ones, cats do NOT take that many birds. Cell towers and wind farms do.
Cats control rodents, which in the SW, carry hanta virus.They also carry fleas w/the plague.
For expanding cat colonies, use T-N-R (trap-neuter-return) to control the population. During the TNR process, the animal is also vaccinated. Simply killing out feral cat colonies creates a vacuum for the next batch of ferals to move in. Be smart, be compassionate.
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Elena2010
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:54amOne more on cats — they also will take care of your reptile problems. They are quite proficient at hunting snakes and eating them. One of the ferals out here in the boonies w/me dispatched a 9-rattle rattlesnake.
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AmericanStrega
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:04amELENA2000:
I disagree. Our cat catches birds like you wouldn’t believe! We really have to watch him when he decides do come in after a morning of sunbathing and bird hunting. The little baaastard has brought three birds in the house and let them free. He seems to enjoy showing us he can bring in dinner and also seems to love watching us try catching a wounded bird flying through the house. He’s only tried bring in a mouse once. I caught him before he made it to the door and told him to drop it. He did, but boy was he mad at me! And snakes? The idiot just plays with them. He’s been darn lucky to only be bitten by garden snakes instead of a poisonous one (the ones he plays will include the ones that get in the basement. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve had to hit with a shovel and take outside).
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steelpanther
Jan. 8, 2013 at 12:00amAmericanStrega, he doesn’t kill because he’s never been taught how to, and he’s not hungry, he’s fulfilling a primal hunting need that cats have. Only house cats play with their prey because they haven’t learned how to kill properly, and they don’t eat it because they are already fed.
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o2nine17
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:06amWhen seconds count, the police are only minutes away. Another case when lives are saved when civilians are armed.
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piper60
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:03amNow, if we only could inoculate ourselves against the unconstitutional rabies in D.C.
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woodyee
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:02amIn MA?!?
Don’t they have one of the strictest Bobcat-control laws in the Nation?
Glad those folks are alive – a 40lb cat is nothing to sneeze at.
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WarMunger_Al
Jan. 7, 2013 at 10:51amThey will probably charge this guy for discharging a firearm. And it was a horrible, weapon-of-war, semi-automatic.
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jd9215
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:01amOnce again, guns saving lives. This story, likely will not see air time on the MSM.
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scrapadapolis
Jan. 7, 2013 at 7:57amGuns dont kill people.Bobcats with rabies do.I’ll bet PETA will have a fieldday with this statement The wife and husband held down the bobcat and shot it.
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woodyee
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:04amOoooh! I over-looked that good point! The cat was subdued, therefore it was no longer a danger to any one. What we have here is a case of catslaughter!
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grimmster
Jan. 7, 2013 at 7:55amOh look, another sensationalized article from Billy Hollowell. Tell me something Mr. Hollowell,why do you find a need in mentioning what make and caliber weapon was used to kill the cat,what agenda are you persueing? It make no difference what weapond was used,other than maybe to say it was shot to death,why sensationalize it by stating make an caliber?…..
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Female
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:35ampersueing should be pursuing. My point being when critizing a writter at least spell your most important verb correctly.
Now in answer to your question.
For somebody like me with little knowledge and experience with guns but in the process of learning; finding out it was a revolver .38 (quite possibly his wife’s) and not a .22 or .357, a rifle or a semi-auto handgun helps me. It also demonstrates that sometimes a handgun is very helpful even in MA to deal with sick or dangerous animals.
Secondly, it is to provide balance to the now overly reported shootings on the national level trying to produce a justification for gun control.
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Falcontrader
Jan. 7, 2013 at 8:44amAs a responsible gun owner, I am interested in the gun and caliper used. Knowing a 380 can put down a large cat is useful information as it is one of the smaller bullets.You see, real shootists and gun owners are educated people, not ignorant and fearful as most gungrabbers are. I believe all gunhaters should take an NRA safety course first, before spewing their uniformed garbage. “>
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firman
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:17amFYI…BIG difference between killing a subdued animal and “stopping” a charging or attacking animal. Also, the bullet load is just as or more important than the caliber. My .357 magnum also can be loaded to shoot light .38 target loads. The difference between that load and a heavy load .357 shot from the same gun is huge. Consider what you want your gun to do before you purchase and do some research.
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Fubared
Jan. 7, 2013 at 9:19amFem
The gun used was a small .380 cal, which is basically a short 9mm. Lots of bark in a small platform. I always suggest a revolver for new gun owners. Preferably a .357 as you can shoot .38s in it and the heavier frame absorbs felt recoil. As you become more comfortable with it, you can revert back to the .357 in the event you need to take down large oak trees or engine blocks or rabid EBT users. Lots of info out there-seek an NRA class out and ask questions of instructor. Also utilize a range that has different handguns for rent before you buy one-
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AmericanStrega
Jan. 7, 2013 at 11:20amMy husbands ex-wife once killed an opossum with a 2×6 chunk of lumber. It pissed her off when she couldn’t scare it away. So she just grabbed the 2×6 and started wailing away. Maybe lumber should be outlawed? Oh, wait. It already is in the Northwest. (BTW, this incident happened in Oregon)
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