Bobcat leans down and prepares to jump an enormous distance over water

Be sure to reach the end of this article to see the full video!

A family was out fishing, when they saw an ambitious bobcat running along a weir. They realized that he was trying to cross over to the other side, but would he get wet?

In 2020, for the first time since World War Two, the Olympics have been canceled.

Olympic.365/Instagram Source: Olympic.365/Instagram

So many other sporting events are currently off the air.

Well, this bobcat is making up for it by creating his own athletic event: weir jumping.

ViralHog/YouTube Source: ViralHog/YouTube

A Louisiana family decided to go out fishing one day. Then they saw something shocking.

A bobcat was running rapidly across a weir. But there was a large gap in the center of the weir.

What was the bobcat going to do? The family didn’t know but they were going to film it nonetheless.

The bobcat made his way to the final post on one side of the weir. He looked out across the expanse of water, assessing whether or not he could jump all the way over.

ViralHog/YouTube Source: ViralHog/YouTube

It looked unlikely, but the bobcat was brave and had gone all the way out here.

So he leaped.

ViralHog/YouTube Source: ViralHog/YouTube

The bobcat glided through the air.

He made a perfect landing on the other post. Then he kept on jumping from post to post. He had managed to stay dry.

ViralHog/YouTube Source: ViralHog/YouTube

Soon, the bobcat had made it to dry land and ran off, keen to hunt prey. What a skilled animal!

Luckily, the footage of the athletic bobcat then appeared on YouTube, where it soon went viral.

In just a couple of months, it has gained over 3.1 million views. It also has more than 4,900 likes and 300 comments. People have been saying things like this:

ViralHog/YouTube Source: ViralHog/YouTube

The video just proves how good bobcats are at jumping long distances. National Geographic states that they can pounce up to 10 feet.

Bobcats are also the most abundant wild cat in the entirety of the USA. Their habitat ranges from the very north to the very south of the country. (And of course, they also exist in Canada and Mexico.)

International Union for Conservation of Nature/Wikipedia Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature/Wikipedia

But of course, spotting a bobcat in the wild is pretty difficult.

They tend to be nocturnal, making the weir jumping bobcat video even more incredible. They’re also very stealthy animals.

Needpix Source: Needpix

Bobcats primarily feed on rabbits, birds, mice, squirrels and other small animals. Yet if they need to, they can hunt down animals much larger than they are.

But bobcats are thriving in the wild.

Needpix Source: Needpix

Their populations are increasing. But as they’re so elusive, it can be hard to estimate the total population. In America, the most recent bobcat population estimate stood at anywhere between 2.4 million to 3.6 million.

Also, bobcats are good for humans.

Goodfreephotos Source: Goodfreephotos

Much of their prey consists of agricultural pests. So they’re basically exterminators that don’t need a paycheck. Farmers of America clearly owe a lot to the bobcat!

You may not be able to see the world’s finest athletes competing to be champions this year, but a least you saw a bobcat jump over the water!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: ViralHog, Wildcat Conservation, National Geographic

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