A wild animal attack in North Carolina that was recorded on a home surveillance system has gone viral. The man now identified as Happy Wade saved his wife, Kristi, after she was attacked by a bobcat in their front yard.
Footage of him throwing the bobcat across the front yard has been viewed millions of times on social media. It was later determined that the bobcat had rabies. The Wades received medical treatment and were expected to be fine.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Bobcat Attacked Kristi Wade as She Carried Their Pet Cat In a Crate
This was a wild 46 seconds
The bobcat attack happened on April 9 in a subdivision in Burgaw, North Carolina. The town is located in Pender County and is part of the Wilmington metropolitan area.
Kristi Wade and her husband Happy were taking their pet cat to the veterinarian that morning, as they explained to WECT-TV. The home surveillance system at their house includes a camera that overlooks their driveway. There were three vehicles parked in the driveway.
In the footage, which was shared on Twitter and has been viewed more than 11 million times, Happy Wade is seen calling out “good morning” to a neighbor who was jogging by. He places a mug on top of one of the vehicles and moves to place something in the backseat. Seconds later, viewers can hear what sounds like the angry shrill of a cat. Kristi Wade starts screaming and runs in between two of the vehicles, still clutching the cat carrier.
She told WECT-TV, “As I came out of our garage, I heard a growl behind or beside one of our cars and I knew it was a cat because I know what a cat sounds like. But it sounded like a very angry cat, so in the video I back up to see if I can see what it is and when I do the face of this bobcat came around the corner of the car.”
The Bobcat Crawls Up Kristi Wade’s Back Before Happy Wade Grabs the Animal & Tosses It Across the Yard
In the video, the bobcat can be seen trying to climb up Kristi Wade’s back. She tried to run in between the two vehicles as she yelled for her husband to run. She told WECT-TV the bobcat bit her hand before moving up her back.
Happy Wade grabs the bobcat away from his wife. He told the TV station that he thought the bobcat would have bitten his wife’s neck if he had hesitated even a moment longer. Happy Wade said the bobcat managed to bite him a couple of times as he held it up and screamed, “Oh my god, it’s a Bobcat!”
He threw the bobcat across the yard. The video shows that the animal flipped in the air before hitting the ground. But instead of running away, the bobcat ran back toward the house and went underneath one of the vehicles. Happy Wade yelled for his wife to watch out and shouted that he would shoot the animal, using an expletive.
Happy & Kristi Wade Said They Knew Something Was Wrong With the Bobcat & It Was Later Determined the Animal Had Rabies
Happy Wade told WECT-TV that he shot the animal, injuring it. A neighbor called 911 and told the dispatcher the bobcat was hiding underneath the vehicle.
The Wades said they knew immediately something was wrong with the bobcat. Happy Wade said he has been a hunter all of his life and that this bobcat’s behavior wasn’t normal.
Law enforcement officials ultimately killed the bobcat. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office explained on social media a few days later that the bobcat had been analyzed at the North Carolina State Laboratory and it was determined that the animal had been suffering from rabies. The department urged pet owners to have their animals vaccinated against rabies in case they ever come into contact with an infected animal.
The Wades received more than 30 shots each to avoid becoming sick with rabies. In the interview with WECT-TV, they expressed gratitude that the bobcat had not attacked a child.
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