Bobcat escapes from National Zoo in Washington

WASHINGTON – A bobcat has escaped from its enclosure at the National Zoo in Washington but the zoo says the animal poses no danger to people.

Zoo officials say the female bobcat was found to be missing Monday morning. The cat is believed to be about 7 years old and was born in the wild. At the zoo, she’s known as Ollie.

Bobcats look a lot like house cats, only bigger and with short, stubby tails. They are native to North America, including the mid-Atlantic region.

The zoo is keeping the area around the bobcat enclosure closed in hopes that it might return.

The zoo says bobcats are not known to be aggressive toward humans.