If you live in the valley, keep an eye out for a bobcat that was spotted last week. Officials with the Department of Enviornmental Conservation says the animal was seen in Mohawk and photos of the bobcat seem to show it had a red-collar around it's neck. Spokesperson Steven Litwhiler says bobcats are more common in the Adirondacks and the Catskills, but says they like to wander. He says residents should not be too concerned. "They primarliy eat little rodents and rabbits. They're very shy of people which is why they're not often seen. In the case of one wandering throught the Mohawk Valley, it would be just a chance encounter and it would want to make itself scare, once someone would see it."

Litwhiler says although the bobcat may have been wearing a collar, it's still a wild animal, that should not be approached. He says the collar could indicate someone owned it as a pet, however, he says the DEC has no record of anyone in the Utica area applying for a permit to keep a bobcat as a pet. He says the collar could also mean it had been trapped at one time for testing. Litwhiler says sometimes wild animals are trapped and the trapper will collect urine samples.

If you see it, call the DEC's Utica office or their hotline, 1-800-TIPP-DEC.