Bobcat's stroll through Nashville backyard captured on video

When Richmond Ross saw the brush along the wooded area in his backyard rustling on Tuesday, he got a little more than he bargained for when a 30-pound bobcat emerged to take a stroll behind his Nashville home.

Ross said he hadn't seen a bobcat near his home in about five years. He's called the Forest Hills neighborhood home for 20 years.

The stealthy cats are more common than one might think, according to the Forest Hills Park District.

Ross said a few of his neighbors have seen bobcats around. When he saw the cat on Tuesday, he was in the right place at the right time to document the walk.

Owner of the Redneck Comedy Bus Tour in Nashville, Ross said as the brush rustled, birds flew away, and he knew it wasn't a deer.

"I saw some limbs shaking. I think he probably attempted to get one of those birds. We get a lot wildlife in Forest Hills," he said.

Ross said the bobcat walked with a swagger.

The animal may have just fished a meal. With the bobcat's primary diet being rabbits, deer, rodents and birds, Forrest Hills makes the perfect hunting ground.

Ross was thankful his dog or any of the neighbor's dogs were not on the menu.

"I've got a giant Bernese mountain dog that loves everybody and everything. He would have attempted to go find a friend and would have had a rude awakening," Ross said.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.