A bobcat that attacked two quail hunters Thursday afternoon near Prescott Valley has tested positive for rabies, Yavapai County Health officials said Friday afternoon.
Arizona Game and Fish Public Information Officer Zen Mocarski reported that the two hunters suffered multiple injuries when an adult male bobcat attacked them after they stopped to open a gate while hunting near Coyote Springs subdivision.
© Arizona Game and FishA bobcat like this one attacked two hunters near Prescott Valley Thursday afternoon. It later tested positive for rabies.
The men spotted the bobcat under some bushes, and saw it run under their truck. When one of them looked underneath the truck, the bobcat attacked, causing deep lacerations, punctures, and scratches to the man's back, shoulders, arms, and chest, Mocarski said. The man's hunting companion tried to rescue him, and the animal also attacked him, causing less severe injuries. One of the men then shot and killed the bobcat.
The two drove to Yavapai Regional Medical Center with the bobcat. Mocarski said hospital personnel immediately treated both men for exposure to rabies. A Game and Fish wildlife manager picked up the bobcat and took it to the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory for testing. Results released about 4:30 p.m. Friday showed the animal was rabid.
