Idaho Fish and Game personnel responded to several calls on Tuesday, April 23 reporting a mountain lion in S.E. Boise in the Columbia Village area. F&G Conservation Officers patrolled the area and spotted an unusually colored bobcat in the area, and they are confident it is the cat people had reported.
Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Joey Ishida said the bobcat was orangish, or rust-colored, and could easily be confused for a small mountain lion.
Ishida said bobcats are fairly common in Southeast Boise because there is abundant habitat and a large population of cottontail rabbits that provide prey for them. He said bobcats are not a threat to public safety.
"We know they are there, and they don't cause problems," Ishida said.
Bobcats are significantly smaller than mountain lions, which prey on larger animals such as deer, elk and bighorn sheep, and are considered a public safety hazard if they are found in cities, towns or near homes.