The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo says the newest members to their facility are bobcats Sherlock and Watson.

These two brothers were born in 2021 at a Quebec zoo in Saint-Félicien and are just under one year old.

Jeff Mitchell, Zoo Manager says, “The pair arrived safely at the Zoo this morning and will be introduced to their new temporary home in the vacant eagle exhibit before transferring to their permanent home later this summer.”

Preparations for the bobcats’ arrival started this spring with renovations to the previous lynx exhibit which will include a new house and dedicated play area for the bobcats to enjoy. For now, Sherlock and Watson will get to enjoy exploring the caves and terrain in the vacant eagle exhibit until the renovations to their permanent home are completed this summer.

Visitors to the Zoo will notice a perimeter buffer surrounding the temporary bobcat exhibit. This buffer helps to maintain physical distance between the public and the bobcats as cat species such as bobcats and lynx are susceptible to COVID-19.

The zoo says bobcats get their name from their short, bobbed tail and are found mostly in North America in mountainous forest regions. They weigh anywhere from 6.5 to 18 kilograms and can jump over 3 metres high. Their diet consists mainly of rodents, birds and fish and are known as ambush predators that stalk and hunt their prey with an element of surprise.