Bobcat sighting in Berrien County surprises residents

BERRIEN COUNTY — Is Berrien County wildcat country? Someone took what is believed to be the first ever photograph of a bobcat in St. Joseph. “It’s pretty rare,” said Sarett Nature Center Director Chuck Nelson. He said a local resident took the picture about 2:00 AM one morning last month along the Morrison Channel. Nelson said Bobcats are nocturnal and not especially native to southwest Michigan, but north. They’re also shy. “It’s quite interesting,” said Dennis Olmstead, who grew up in the area. “I used to hunt as a kid down in this area and never saw anything like that.” “There have been only two or three other verified sightings of bobcats in Berrien County,” said Nelson, who described the big cat as about two feet long and “as healthy as can be.” Nelson said bobcats are more afraid of people and are not aggressive, but they would prey on small cats.