Bobcat’s spectacular leap over water is ‘poetry in motion’

There aren’t many athletic achievements to celebrate these days, but the leaping ability of a Louisiana bobcat is worth checking out.

There aren’t many athletic achievements to celebrate these days, but the remarkable leaping ability of a Louisiana bobcat is worth checking out.

The accompanying footage, uploaded Monday by YouTuber Ryan Olivier, shows the bobcat crossing a weir and pausing briefly at a wide gap to consider a jump across water that, to some, might seem impossible.

“Does the bobcat make it?” Olivier asks.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmTn6hLRm7s]

Viewers will note that the bobcat not only completes the jump, showing exceptional prowess, but hops skillfully from stump to stump before reaching a flat plank it must negotiate to finish the crossing.

The footage, captured at Pecan Island, is rare in that bobcats are nocturnal predators. But judging from the comments, this cat has previously been seen completing this jump.

Still, everyone seemed impressed with the footage. One commenter described the cat’s movements as “poetry in motion” and “a thing of beauty to watch.”

Wrote another: “Absolute master of parkour.”

–Images courtesy of Ryan Olivier