RYE BROOK, N.Y. (WCBS 880) -- Police in a Westchester village are warning residents after multiple bobcats were spotted over the weekend.
The Rye Brook Police Department said officers are patrolling the area of Rockinghorse Trail and Country Ridge Drive after receiving a report of “what appears to be” multiple bobcats.
Residents should keep their garage doors closed to avoid bobcats taking refuge in them, police said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
The department shared two photos that show a bobcat in the yard of resident Josh Stern.
“We're just making sure the fence is always closed. And the kids are not outside without any supervision at this point,” Stern told WABC.
Resident Robin Fries told the station that she thought the cats were escaped tigers when she spotted two of them on the prowl.
“I just couldn’t believe my eyes,” she said.
Bobcats used to stick to the Catskill, Adirondack, and Taconic mountains, but their numbers are now flourishing, and they can be found everywhere in the state, save for New York City and Long Island.
Wildlife biologist Mandy Watson, of the Department of Environmental Conservation, told WABC that bobcat sightings are not uncommon in Westchester.
“They do occasionally show up in suburban areas, where food is often abundant,” Watson said. “With the amount of greenspace surrounding the Rye Brook area, it is not surprising that there seems to be a bobcat hanging around.”
Rye Brook Police Chief Greg Austin believe the cats may live in a nearby golf course.
“It’s a large area, so they might have just gotten off track a little bit,” Austin said. “They run away if there’s noise.”
While bobcats rarely attack humans and are usually skittish, officials said people should use caution by staying away from the wild cats and keeping an eye on small pets. More information can be found at dec.ny.gov.
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