This rare bobcat could be the first of its kind spotted in Maine

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 14, 2026

What may be Maine’s first black bobcat has been spotted in the state, where a homesteader says the animal has killed most of his chickens and two ducks. Rodney Barnett II, who runs the Good Ground & Grit Facebook page, said 10 of his chickens went missing two days ago. He noticed the bobcat while checking on his goats. It was sitting on a fence post, watching the animals. “I got probably 20-30 feet from it, when I realized, this is the largest cat I’ve ever seen in my life,” Barnett said.