file photo of a bobcat on the Cape

On Saturday March 15, 2014 a rabid bobcat attacked a 35 year old blind horse in it’s barn on Grove Street in Upton.

The incident was confirmed by Upton’s animal control officer who referred Upton Daily to Board of Health Chair Richard Desjardins for details. Upton Daily called Desjardins today but had not heard back by the time of this publication.

Upton Daily was able to speak with Rosario Delgado-Lecaroz, DVM who was called on scene to manage the incident. According to Delgado-Lecaroz the owners discovered a bobcat attacking their horse and knew immediately there was something wrong with the bobcat and killed it. Delgado-Lecaroz said a healthy bobcat would not attack a horse in a barn. Delgado-Lecaroz sent the bobcat’s head to the state lab where it later tested positive for rabies. “You can only test for rabies through cutting the head off,” said Delgado-Lecaroz.

As far as Delgado-Lecaroz is aware the horse is recovering from its injuries. Upton Daily is attempting to contact the owner to find out how the horse is doing.

Delgado-Lecaroz has never spotted a bobcat in Upton but said she recently heard one was seen in Westboro. Other Upton residents have reported seeing a bobcat in the area recently. The rabid bobcat found in Upton was a male. Bobcats are solitary animals.

According to Delgado rabies is found in Upton. Last year the town had three woodchucks test positive for rabies and the year before a fox. Delgado said “I hope people don’t go out and start killing bobcats. Bobcats are wildlife and live in the wild and just because they live in the wild doesn’t mean they have rabies.” Apparently after the Board of Health issued a rabies alert last year residents were killing healthy woodchucks.

Delgado urges residents of Upton to speak with their children about wild animals and rabies. “It’s important to talk to your children. Wild animals do not approach humans.” An animal infected with rabies is either aggressive or dopey. A dopey animal may approach a human and seem ‘friendly.’ Delgado also said it’s important for children to tell their parents if they are bitten by any animal they don’t know, even a cat/kitten. Delgado mentioned a case in Texas where a child was bit by a feral cat and never told her parents. The child went months without showing any signs of illness, she then started to have seizures and later died of rabies.