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Curious animal behavior caught on video always tends to grab the internet's attention, whether it involves a screaming frog, a newborn goat or even a clever bear.
However, a recent social media post has gone viral for a more morbid reason.
A Reddit user going by the name of u/SirTrypsalot uploaded what appears to be security camera footage of a wild bobcat leaving his property with the user's pet duck grasped firmly between its teeth.
The video was posted on r/Wellthatsucks and was captioned "This is a video of a bobcat visiting my property and leaving 20 minutes later with my favorite pet duck."
According to the video's timestamp, the incident reportedly occurred on April 28, 2022 between 1:24 and 1:44 AM.
The post generated almost 10,000 upvotes and has attracted 344 comments. It has since been removed from the subreddit by moderators, presumably due to being flagged for 'animal violence'. However, the post can still be accessed via a direct link.
In the comment section, u/SirTrypsalot shared that the pet duck in question was "6 eggs into laying a nest to incubate."
According to the user, he and his wife drove to a farm supply store and spent $160 on an incubator to house the orphaned unhatched ducklings. "We're hoping we can successfully hatch her eggs so we can continue her legacy on our pond," he wrote.
The video attracted a significant number of sympathy from commenters who expressed their condolences to the original poster. "I am so sorry," shared a user. "Poor duck," wrote another.
Some users shared fears and concerns about their pets potentially suffering the same fate. "I'm sorry man, this is the same reason I don't want to let my cat outside. I would be devastated if something happened to her," wrote one person.
According to several users, fears of losing a household pet to wild animals are not unwarranted. One particular responder warned of the dangers of letting pets freely roam outdoors in areas populated by predators. "Bobcats are ruthless. When I was younger, all of the outside cats in the neighborhood disappeared and nobody could figure out why. Eventually, somebody caught it on camera," they wrote.
According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library, the bobcat population in the United States is currently estimated to lie anywhere between 2.3 to 3.6 million.
But humans have little to fear from them, since bobcats tend to avoid attacking people unless provoked. Instead, greater care should be taken with regards to household animals such as dogs, cats and other animals under 30 pounds in weight.
"A bobcat is on the quieter end of the scale," warned another user. "In some parts of the U.S., there's even mountain lions that will come through your backyard. Or bears."
One user recommended a way that the original poster can prevent history from repeating itself by investing in deterrent solutions. "There are motion activated sprinkler systems that people use to scare deer away from plants," they wrote. "If the ducks usually sleep in a specific area that might be enough of a deterrent."
In typical Reddit fashion, other users attempted to make light of the situation with humor.
"I saw this and instantly heard Elton John singing 'The Circle Of Life,'" said one commenter. "Did you have a second favorite pet duck, or has equality been restored now?" wrote another.
Animal videos caught by wildlife cameras are nothing new. Newsweek previously wrote about footage of a Minnesota wolf carrying its dead pup still in the placenta, baffling experts.
According to researchers taking part of the Voyageurs Wolf Project, this is not normal behavior for a wolf to exhibit, paving the way for some "far-fetched" explanations.
Newsweek reached out to u/SirTrypsalot for additional comment.
