Bodycam Video Shows Bobcat Stuck in Car Grille, Deputies Responding in Shock: ‘This Is a First’

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

The deputies on duty were caught off guard when they got a bizarre-sounding call of “a bobcat in my car.”

Sheriff Mike Lukas called it “a first” when on April 18 dispatch conveyed the call over the radio, and it piqued the curiosity of several officers of the Portage County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin.

But that’s exactly what they found. A bobcat in a car.

When Deputies Selvey, Stanton, and Ashbeck arrived at the location, they saw the live bobcat holding out behind the grille of the caller’s Toyota.

Body camera footage taken at the scene attests to the feline’s impressive size. An officer commented that the cat had a “big paw.”

Images show the trapped bobcat and officers trying to free it from behind the grille of a car:

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

Sheriff Lukas would post about the bobcat service request on Facebook, captioning, “My deputies are really good at solving problems but this one baffled them so we called in reinforcements with Conservation Warden Bryan Lockman.”

The footage posted to Facebook shows the experienced warden, now having arrived, coaxing a snare through the broken plastic grille and around the bobcat’s paw as another officer draws the grille open to let it out.

The lithe bobcat needed precious little room to slide out. It emerged almost like a liquid but once freed, by now quite stressed, the bobcat leaped like feline lightning. It jumped, wriggled, and writhed.

Images captured from footage taken by an officer’s body camera show the bobcat being freed:

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

Keeping control of the wild cat with his snare, in one single motion Warden Lockman skillfully transferred it into the bed of a waiting pickup truck as officers woo-hoo-ed at the excitement before closing the gate behind the bobcat.

In his post, Sheriff Lukas commended the warden, calling him “a pro.”

The bobcat was then released back into the wild, the sheriff added.

In response, an appreciative public flooded the comments section on Facebook with words of praise for the officers and awe at the sight of the big cat.

Among the many “wows” and “great jobs,” Tony Good shared, “Excellent. Thanks for your service. You could say the cat’s in the bag.”

Expressing her gratitude, Melissa M. Harrison wrote, “Such a beautiful creature! Glad all went well getting it out. Great job guys!!”

(Courtesy of Portage County Sheriff’s Office)

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