BARNESVILLE — A few residents have reported spotting bobcats in different areas of Belmont County over the past few days.

Officials of the Barnesville Memorial Park stated on social media Thursday that there had been a sighting of a bobcat near the cabins on the trail area of the park.

“Please be careful at the trails and watch your pets,” the post continues.

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, a bobcat has short, dense, soft fur and comes in a variety of colors including light gray, yellowish brown, buff, brown and reddish brown on the upper parts of its body. The tips of the animal’s ears are black as is its short tail.

Bobcats are unlikely to attack humans, according to the ODNR. Their diet typically consists of insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals with rabbits and white-tailed deer being key components of their diet.

Another sighting was reported along West Bennett Street in Bridgeport. According to a post on social media accompanied by a photo of the animal lounging on a homeowner’s deck, the bobcat was seen at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Bridgeport police Officer Brenton Boston said he has not received any reports of bobcat sightings. He considers the incident rare, as bobcats are normally shy and elusive animals. He noted that bobcats are not known to be a threat to humans, although it is advised to keep a close eye on small pets when bobcats may be in the area.

The ODNR encourages residents to report sightings to help track bobcats as well as other species. Sightings can be reported at ohiodnr.gov/wildlife/speciessighting.

Bobcats have been spotted on a regular, if infrequent, basis in the local region for the past several years. A pair of bobcat kittens was found along Ohio 7 in 2019, and they also have been spotted around the Centerville/Jacobsburg area, near Barkcamp State Parks and just west of Bethesda. According to ODNR, bobcats were common in Ohio prior to European settlement of the region. They were considered extirpated, or completely destroyed, in the state by 1850. They began to reappear in the Buckeye State in the mid-1990s.