Learn About Connecticut Bobcats In Avon Next Week

AVON, CT — If you happen to glance in your backyard and spot a feline that seems way, way too big to be your neighbor's friendly tabby, you probably just saw a bobcat.

While bears seemingly get all the attention when it comes to Connecticut wildlife sightings, the bobcat is a wild feline native to the state that graces us with its presence periodically.

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m., the Avon Free Public Library, 281 Country Club Road, Avon, is hosting a free program called "The Bobcat – Connecticut’s Secretive Wild Cat.”

It will feature a presentation by wildlife expert Paul Colburn, who will focus on the history of bobcats in Connecticut.

He is expected to give an overview of bobcat habitat, diet, behavior, reproduction, and current research efforts.

Bobcat artifacts will be shared with the audience, and mountain lions, a non-native wild feline species, some claim to see in Connecticut, will be discussed.

Colburn is a 2015 graduate of the Connecticut Master Wildlife Conservationist Program and a certified Master Wildlife Conservationist.

The MWCP is a Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) adult education program that trains volunteers in the fields of wildlife management, natural history, and interpretation.

"Paul is a dedicated advocate for wildlife and is passionate about sharing his knowledge with others. He is particularly focused on teaching the basics of living responsibly with wildlife," wrote the library.

"Paul has provided hundreds of wildlife presentations for a wide variety of public and private organizations in all corners of the state."

He is a graduate of Wesleyan University and served honorably in the U.S. Army.

For more information and to register for the program, click on this link.