Three bobcat kittens lounge in a treetop, waiting for mom.
FROM THE RELATIVE SAFETY OF A TREE-TOP PERCH, three bobcat kittens pass the time, waiting for mom to return from a hunt. Photographer Karine Aigner had heard that this family was denning under a ranch house in arid south-central Texas. With the owners’ permission, she set up a camouflaged blind, hoping to observe the cats from a respectful distance. “When I first arrived, the mother came out to drink some water,” recalls Aigner. 
“We looked at each other, and that was it—the beginning of summer love.”
For three months, Aigner documented the clan, pleased to be ignored as the cats went about their lives. The kittens would often spend entire nights sleeping in the tree, waiting for their mother to return with a meal of rabbit or rat. As the kittens aged, the mother would release live prey in front of them, perhaps a lesson in how to hunt for themselves. “It was a learning experience for me,” says Aigner. “This wild animal let me in and trusted me enough to hunt in front of me. I think she knew it was safe.” For viewers, Aigner hopes this image can be a lesson in coexistence.
Nature's Witnesses »
NWF Certified Community is the Cat's Cradle »
An Epic Battle of Two Bobcats in a Tree »
See Last Issue's Nature's Witness »
Sign Up for Updates
A groundbreaking bipartisan bill aims to address the looming wildlife crisis before it's too late, while creating sorely needed jobs.
Read More
More than one-third of U.S. fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. We're on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 52 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive.
PO Box 1583, Merrifield, VA 22116-1583
800.822.9919
Share
