Rare ringtail cat spotted in San Antonio park

SAN ANTONIO — A rare ringtail cat was spotted enjoying a meal at a park in San Antonio, officials said.

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Officials with the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department saw the animal on a land bridge while reviewing surveillance footage at Phil Hardberger Park, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

On Thursday, the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy posted a shot on Facebook of the ringtail cat, which was carrying a Texas spiny lizard in its mouth. The ringtail cat is a member of the raccoon family, according to the conservancy.

“Ringtail cats are rarely seen because they are nocturnal and very shy,” the Facebook post notes.

Ringtails are cat-sized animals that resemble a mix between a fox and a raccoon, according to San Antonio Wildlife Control. The animal’s face is fox-like, with a pointed snout, and its body resembles a raccoon and is elongated.

The ringtail cat is one of the many wildlife animals that have utilized the land bridge, which is 165 feet wide and offers food, water, and shelter for animals, the Express-News reported. It features two water bubblers, trees, shrubs, and grasses for food, the newspaper reported.

The bridge was completed in December 2020 and opened four months later, the Express-News reported.

Other species that have been viewed on camera include the Virginia opossum, cottontail rabbit, white-tailed deer, and coyote, according to the newspaper.

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