Rumford police reassure public about bobcat hanging out near High Bridge

A bobcat, but not this one, is said to be prowling South Rumford village in the area of High Bridge. Rumford Police Department photo

RUMFORD – If you happen to be crossing High Bridge any time soon, keep your eyes out to see if there’s a cat in your midst.

A very big cat.

Rumford police Thursday night announced that a bobcat has been seen in the area, but stressed that there’s no reason for alarm.

“According to our animal control officer, we have a bobcat hanging out on High Bridge on the South Rumford Road,” according to the department’s Facebook page. “A vet tech and wildlife rehab vet say it seems very healthy, just fascinated with the bridge for some reason. Any complaints can go to Maine Warden Service, but people should not panic.”

Within minutes of the report being posted on Facebook, nearly a dozen people had weighed in and the post was shared more than four dozen times.

The department also posted a very impressive photo of a bobcat to accompany the Facebook post. Unfortunately, the photo does not show the bobcat in question. It’s just a file photo of the type of animal presently haunting High Bridge.