'What's up? Are you here for my mice?' B.C. man captures close-up video of young bobcat

A still from a vide posted to YouTube by Jan Nademlejnsky shows a bobcat in an airport hangar in Kamloops, B.C. (Image credit: Youtube/@jannadem)

A young bobcat was caught on camera, running over snow covered ground and hiding under a picnic table, after sneaking into an aircraft hangar in Kamloops B.C. last week.

Pilot Jan Nademlejnsky who has a YouTube channel primarily dedicated to planes and flying, posted the video online.

Titled "Close Encounters of the First Kind, "it shows what he calls a "small bobcat encounter" in his airport hangar on Dec.30, 2022.

"I noticed small footprints in the snow the previous day" the video's caption reads.

"This time I saw it. It looked to me from my distance like a more fluffy domestic cat. Eventually, as I came closer, I noticed the typical hairs from its ears."

At one point, in the video Nademlejnsky says, "Hi. What's up? Are you after my mice? Very nice."

Nademlejnsky can be heard making bird noises and other sounds, as if to try to coax it out of hiding under the picnic table. The video's caption details what happened next.

"(I) eventually guided it to an area with gap between the fence and building. The bobcat squeezed through the gap and disappeared from my view. It was the first time in my life this close."

Bobcats, although relatively rare, do live in some areas of British Columbia, including in the Columbia Valley, where conservation officers responded to several sightings in early 2022.

In the Okanagan, footage of a baby bobcat outside of a woman's window in Peachland went viral last month. 

According to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, bobcats can attack pets, so it's best if people avoid leaving any attractants outside and bring their pets indoors at night. The regional district offers the following summary of the feline's behaviour.

"The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is typically an elusive forest dweller that prefers to avoid interactions with humans. They are territorial and solitary creatures that prey on a wide range of animals," the website says.

"Despite being elusive animals, they are highly adaptable and will often have a territory that borders on the urban domain. Do not let bobcats find food, water or shelter on your property."

The Ministry of Environment asks those who see a bobcat to keep their distance, and to call the Conservation Officer Service if they aren't sure whether the sighting needs to be reported.