 THE VERDE VALLEY BOBCAT WEB PROJECT FOR KIDS
Text and Artwork by Cindy Betzer Pharis
There are many wonderful animals in the Verde Valley, but one, in particular, stands out. This is the bobcat, a small, but powerful cat with tufts on his ears, and a bobbed tail that is about five inches long. We hardly ever see a bobcat because he is shy, elusive, and always hunts at night. This means the bobcat is nocturnal, which means he is awake at night when you and I are asleep, and he is asleep when you and I are getting ready for school!
Possessing an excellent sense of sight and a tremendous ability to hide, bobcats usually wait very quietly for a rabbit or a rodent to come meandering down a path, and then it’s dinnertime! Bobcats usually eat smaller animals, but they have been known to ambush a deer.
Bobcats and humans need to live where we have water, shelter, and food. Sometimes we are close by each other. Some people hunt bobcats, but most people enjoy sighting one of these beautiful creatures. Since Cottonwood is growing, houses are being built where the bobcats once lived. It is harder for them to find food and water. Many people care about the bobcats and want to make sure that they have a place to live. This is called, “preserving the bobcat’s natural habitat.”
Here are three activities for you to do! The first is making a bobcat mask, the second is making a mosaic with bobcat prints, and the third is a maze where you will need to help the bobcat find his cave! If you would like to know more about the bobcat, please go to the Google search engine and type in “bobcat, wildcat,” or “lynx,” and you will learn about this beautiful cat and some of its close relatives!
Click Here to Make a Bobcat Mask Click Here to Make a Bobcat Paws Mosaic
Click Here for Bobcat Maze - Tuzigoot to Dead Horse to the Lime Kiln Trail
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