What happened next was not a joke but “pandemonium”: two or three minutes of chivalry, cellphone cameras and people jumping on top of pool tables to get out of the way.
When it was over, two people were scratched and bleeding, and the bobcat was gunned down by police in a parking lot on Main Street.
It’s not the way I’d want to spend my Tuesday night in Cottonwood I have to say, but the Arizona Republic piece about “a barroom story that is sure to become legend” made me sit up and take notice because:
- the comments from concerned readers are superb, suggesting Arizona should quickly repeal the ban on handguns in ‘establishments that serve liquor’ - just in case there’s a wave of further rabid bobcat invasions;
- we drove past that very bar not that long ago on the way to historic mining town Jerome and the area seemed quite suburban, not prone to wild animal attacks!
- it’s not far from my favourite state park, the Dead Horse Ranch
To get the full flavour of the event watch the video below which includes CCTV footage from the bar.
I love the way people reach straight for the camera phone to get a snap. Are they updating their Facebook status with ‘just been attacked by a bobcat’ or perhaps looking to take the ‘What wild animal is in my bar’ quiz?
And at least the lawmen in town didn’t face sudden death by angry gunslinger - taking no chances and blasting the critter emerging from the saloon with 3 shots.
