Metter Man Bitten By Rabid Bobcat

A Metter man was attacked and bitten by a rabid bobcat in April as he worked on a drained pond.

On April 18, Jimmy Donaldson was on ITT paper land in Candler County that he and others lease. The men were working on a drained pond. Some of the men had seen a bobcat earlier and said it went into the hole in the spillway of the pond. Jimmy walked over, and sure enough, the bobcat was in the hole. He turned and started to walk away and was about 20 yards away when the cat streaked out and went straight for him.

The other men hollered that the bobcat was coming and Jimmy turned just as the cat leaped, struck him on the left shoulder and bit him.

Jimmy grabbed the cat in a choke-hold and went to the ground. He held the cat down and other men held its feet until he choked it to death. Jimmy was taken to the hospital and treated.

WRD Biologist Greg Waters was called and the catʼs head was sent to a lab to test for rabies. The tests came back positive, but because it is so unusual for a bobcat to attack unprovoked, rabies was suspected and Jimmy had already begun the rabies treatment. He has since completed the series of shots and has recovered from the puncture wounds in his shoulder.

According to Greg, the bobcat was the only confirmed case of rabies in the area this year.

Jimmy Donaldsonʼs son Jim holds the rabid bobcat that attacked his father.