A bobcat has died after it attacked a camp leader sleeping in a hammock during a youth expedition in Connecticut, state officials said Friday.
The attack was reported early Friday on Selden Neck Island in Selden Neck State Park, and the man and two other adults responded by killing the lynx, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said.
The adults were injured and were taken to a hospital. Their conditions were not available. The campers had no contact with the bobcat and were removed from the island by first responders after the attack, the department said.
The bobcat’s body was transported to a health center to determine if it had rabies, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said.
NBC Connecticut reported that the expedition was part of the Wilderness School, a youth development program through the state Department of Children and Families. The program includes hiking, camping and canoeing expeditions and other activities throughout the year, according to its website.
Bobcats rarely attack humans because they live solitary lives, often roaming far and wide alone in search of prey. But the experts say humans are their biggest threatthrough development and urban incursions.
Selden Neck State Park is about 120 miles northeast of New York City.
matthew johnson contributed.