Bobcats move into foreclosed home [View All]

[Liberal_in_LA]

With homeowner in doghouse, bobcats move in

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Karen Brown
Bobcats lounge on a vacant and foreclosed home on Vista Palermo in Lake Elsinore.

A family of feline squatters has moved into a foreclosed home in Lake Elsinore. Residents of the Tuscany Hills development first noticed the bobcats about a week ago.

By David Kelly, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
12:06 PM PDT, September 4, 2008

Taking advantage of a slump in local real estate, a family of bobcats has moved into a foreclosed Lake Elsinore home, lolling about on fences and walls and riveting an entire neighborhood.

Neighbors first noticed the feline squatters Aug. 27 hanging out on a side wall of the empty house in the Tuscany Hills development. At first, they thought the animals were mountain lions and someone called 911.


Four police units arrived, ordering everyone off the street and into their homes.

But once the officers realized the animals were bobcats, they -- like many of the neighbors -- started snapping cellphone pictures.


Since then, animal-control officials have been going door to door in the neighborhood, warning residents to keep an eye on their children and pets and not to leave water outside. It is unclear whether they plan to remove the animals.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bobcats5-2008sep05,0,2286826.story