Paul Broadhurst: Florida man 'punches' bobcat in the face to save daughter's dog during a stroll
ORLANDO, FLORIDA: A Florida man fought off a bobcat when it attacked his dog. Paul Broadhurst was out on a stroll with his daughter's dog named Koda when they were attacked by a wild bobcat on Saturday, February 11, 2023, in the Stoneybrook neighborhood of East Orlando.
When Broadhurst attempted to pry the animal away from the dog, the bobcat "clawed" into him badly. Broadhurst then allegedly punched the wild animal, clocking it in the face, after which it fled into the forest line, as per Fox 35.
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'He clawed into me pretty good'
"The bobcat, he clawed into me pretty good, and I end up having to punch the bobcat in the mouth to get it off of me," Broadhurst said, adding, "He was walking down the sidewalk that bobcat was just over the top of him. He no sooner got there, and I ripped him off."
"He got away lucky," Broadhurst said about his dog Koda, who was uninjured during the attack. "This is a very high-traffic area," Broadhurst explained, adding, "People walk their dogs, and have their kids, there are small kids in area 1-, 2-, 3-year-olds and if the bobcat got on them, it would be a bad outcome."
'Be aware of your surroundings and know where you live'
Since Broadhurst's residence is next to a conservation area, Frank Robb of Environmental Education Awareness Research Support and Services (EEARSS) recommended that individuals walking their pets carry a barrier, such as a walking stick, that they can use to protect them from any rabid or hungry animals. "Why it happened doesn’t matter as much as how do you keep it from happening to you? Carry something to put between you and said animal, be aware if you see something that doesn’t belong turn around and go in a different direction," Robb said.
According to Robb, there are a variety of reasons why this might have happened, such as, that the bobcat was starving, was being fed by people and felt more at ease among them, or was rabid. "When homes get built these wild areas are being taken away, you’re going to see more conflict like this with wildlife," Robb said, adding, "Be aware of your surroundings and know where you live."