NWI's Washington Park Zoo Reports Missing Bobcat in Michigan City, Indiana

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — A baby bobcat has gone missing from a northwest Indiana zoo, and while authorities are asking for help finding her, they say she should not be approached.

Grace, a 9-month-old bobcat at Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City, escaped from her exhibit enclosure and the zoo. Grace and her sister Hazel arrived at the zoo in December and have been housed in a habitat designed for their species since April.

Photos of Grace and the compound she disappeared from can be seen below:

Zoo officials said this week that they don't yet know exactly how Grace escaped from her enclosure, but that she poses no threat to humans if left alone.

“Like coyotes and foxes, bobcats are native to this area,” said zoo director Jamie Huss. “Due to her age and size, Grace is unlikely to pose a threat to humans or most animals as long as she is left alone. Bobcats are quiet, secretive, and active from dusk to night; and like For all wildlife, a bobcat's natural response is to move away from humans.

Huss said zoo staff were concerned about Grace's safety.

“Grace is about the size of a large house cat,” she said. “Its prey ranged from chipmunks to rabbits and smaller. We are concerned for its safety and have continued to set live traps and trail cameras in hopes of a sighting and recapture.

In addition to zoo staff, local police and animal control units assisted in the search for Grace. Anyone in the area is asked to immediately report any sightings to the Michigan City Police Department's non-emergency telephone number at (219) 874-3221.