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A bobcat was killed after it attacked a camp leader who was sleeping in a hammock during a youth expedition in Connecticut, state officials said Friday.
The attack was reported early Friday morning on Selden Neck Island in Selden Neck State Park, and the man and two other adults responded by ultimately killing the lynx, said the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The adults were injured and taken to a hospital. Their conditions were unavailable. The campers didn’t have any contact with the bobcat, and first responders took them off the island after the attack, the department said.
The bobcat’s body was transported to a health facility to determine if it had rabies, the Energy and Environmental Protection department said.
NBC Connecticut reported 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 year-round, according to its website.
Bobcats rarely attack humans because they live solitary lives, often roaming far, wide and alone as they seek prey. But experts say humans are their biggest threat, via development and urban incursions.
Selden Neck State Park is about 120 miles northeast of New York City.
Matthew Johnson contributed.
