Homeowners on lookout after 2 reports of bobcats in Burke, Caldwell counties

MORGANTON — Some homeowners in Burke and Caldwell counties are on the lookout after reports of two bobcats in the area.

They sent Channel 9 a picture on Monday of what they believe is a large cat just south of Morganton.

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The two sightings are more than 20 miles apart and happened within hours of each other -- so most likely, there were two different bobcats.

Large cat spotted Jason McClellan is still questioning exactly what kind of cat was spotted near his home. He said he got an alert on his phone about an image from a wildlife camera captured 200 yards from his home near the South Mountains.

One of the homeowners, Jason McClellan, is still questioning exactly what kind of cat was spotted near his home. He said he got an alert on his phone about an image from a wildlife camera captured 200 yards from his home near the South Mountains.

“I looked down at it and I said, ‘is that a cat?’ The more I blew it up I realized it was not a cat,” Jason McClellan said. “It was either a bobcat or a cougar... I’d like to know for sure.”

>> In the video at the top of the page, Reporter Dave Faherty speaks with homeowners about those sightings.

Burke County- a viewer shared these photos of a large cat south of Morganton. NC Wildlife Resources believes it could be a large bobcat because of its tail. The owner says more cameras are being put up near his home to identify the cat. The story today on channel 9 at five. pic.twitter.com/6HGyADDGI5
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) August 22, 2022