Road construction has been in progress here for about 6-8 weeks. Carcass was tucked under roadside vegetation, perhaps placed there by construction workers looking to get it out of the way of their work. I initially smelled it, and looked around to find it. Carcass degraded, desiccated, very stinky. The easily identifiable head in the photo was the best-preserved part of the carcass. Pedestrian trail parallels the Sweetwater River riparian forest here, and rises to the grade of the highway where it meets the sidewalk along Campo Road. Not unlikely that the cat was following that trail, and tried to cross the highway at grade. Fence separating the pedestrian trail from riparian habitat may have precluded this animal's crossing under the highway, within the riparian forest.
Observation ID: 57417
Condition
Dead
Animal
Bobcat
Identification Confidence
100% certain
Observation Date / Time
Observer
John Martin
Travel Frequency
daily
Estimated Time Since Impact
about one month
Carcass Position
road shoulder
Roadway Speed Limit
55 mph
Road Type
state / rural highway
Location Description
Campo Road