A Bobcat in the Backyard

After placing 7 camera traps on his 28-acre California property, photographer Roy Toft documented the wildlife that wandered through

By Delaney McPherson // Photo by Roy Toft
Wildlife Photos
Jun 24, 2026

IN 2020, THE CONSERVATION PHOTOGRAPHER ROY TOFT placed seven camera traps on his 28-acre property in Ramona, California. He spent the next four years documenting the wildlife that came through and published the results in his 2024 book, Wild Ramona. Toft hopes the photos illustrate that the wildlife coexisting with his ranching community are not something to fear.

“As a species, we’re not known to share and live amongst other predators well,” Toft says of humans. “For our little community to still have mountain lions and bobcats and coyotes walking around freely is something to cherish.”

Toft has lived on his property for over 20 years, and his familiarity with the land informed where he placed cameras. He knew this granite ledge overlooking the valley would accumulate water on rainy days and misty mornings, which in turn would attract wildlife. To provide a more consistent source, Toft got permission to run a drip line from a neighbor’s irrigation system to the overlook, eventually drawing this bobcat. A neighbor’s home across the valley exemplifies how close people can be to wildlife without realizing it.

“Wild animals live here, and they rarely cause any negative impacts,” says Toft. “Just because you see one outside doesn’t make it a negative encounter. You got lucky.” See more of his work.