A local wildlife society has confirmed the first official bobcat sighting in Harford County, after a private landowner sent in trail camera footage of the feline on his property in September.

John Garrison and the Susquehannock Wildlife Society, a Harford-based nonprofit that aims to conserve wildlife in the area, have been on the prowl for confirmed bobcat sightings since the society began in 2011. People have sent it more than 100 photos and videos of deer, fox or feral cats — but the state’s only wild cat remained elusive.

Then, in September the society received footage with a “cut and dry, readily identifiable” bobcat, Garrison said.

“We were blown away,” said Garrison, the society’s conservation director.

Many people have claimed they’ve seen bobcats in the region, but there has never been a photo or video produced until now — something Garrison credits to emerging technologies, such as trail cameras.

Joshua Tabora, a furbearer biologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said DNR also confirms the sighting and called it “a testament to conservation success.”

“When you can have a carnivore species that has a pretty large home range recolonize vacant habitat … it bodes well for the quality of the habitat in Harford County,” Tabora said.

The video shows the beige cat sitting on what appears to be a grass knoll before and jumping across a river.

Bobcats resemble a bigger version of domestic house cats, according to the DNR’s website. Tabora said a large bobcat would be in the high-20- to low-30-pound range. They have pointy tufts of black fur at the tips of their ear and their namesake “bobbed” tail to accompany their grayish brown to yellowish brown coat, according to the DNR’s website.

In Maryland, bobcats have healthy breeding populations in the four western counties: Garrett, Allegany, Washington and Frederick. However, Tabora said they might be expanding with sightings in Montgomery and Charles counties this year.

The bobcat in Harford County likely migrated south from Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River, which stretches from Havre de Grace to upstate New York, Tabora said. But, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a breeding population in the area.

“If one animal can make it here from an adjacent breeding population, presumably in Pennsylvania, it means that others could could make the same journey in the future,” Tabora said.

Garrison added that the bobcats could also be moving around Central Maryland in low numbers.

Tabora said it’s no coincidence the human-averse bobcat was recorded on trail cameras, rather than by people. “Even in places where bobcats are relatively common, they’re not all that commonly observed,” he said.

Bobcats pose virtually no threat to humans, Garrison said. He added said most people are never going to encounter one unless they’re an outdoorsman. The most common place one might see a bobcat is crossing a road.

If someone were to encounter a bobcat, all they would need to do is maintain “a safe distance,” Tabora said.

Despite bobcats being predators, they also pose little threat to pets. Tabora said the most concern would be for domestic poultry. Even then, raccoons and red fox are more of the “usual suspects,” he said.

Bobcats tend to stay in areas with “pristine habitats and environments,” Garrison said. So, the bobcat sighting in Harford County is something to be excited about.

“Conservation efforts are providing adequate habitat connectivity,” Tabora said. “That’s something we’re celebrating for sure.”

Have a news tip? Contact Brendan Nordstrom at bnordstrom@baltsun.com or at 443-900-1353.