Teacher and runner extraordinaire Timothy Hilt thought that he had spotted a bobcat after finishing a track workout on November 4.

“Is that a friggin’ bobcat in that tree over there?” asked a tense and startled Hilt, squinting across the track towards a small tree near the sheds.

As he moved closer toward the tree, Hilt became more certain of the bobcat’s presence, saying repeatedly that he could see its tail moving.

As it turns out, upon further inspection, the mysterious bobcat was just a large trash bag that was stuck in a tree.

It was about 4:45 in the afternoon at the time of the sighting, so darkness could have played a role in the mistake.

“I was just walking on the other side of the track, and I see this shadow in a tree. I was like, ‘That’s a bobcat in that tree,'” admitted Hilt.”I was a little disappointed.”

Despite the obvious misunderstanding of nature, Hilt remained unfazed, saying that he was not really that embarrassed.

He did, however, outline his plans if it was an actual bobcat.

“I was going to catch it for a pet. Bobcats have magical properties.”

By Keegan Bockhorst