Bill Free has seen all manner of wildlife on Renton Hill, from deer to rabbits to raccoons and possums.

The wildlife follows the Cedar River corridor, making their way up the primitive side of Renton Hill.

But, Free has never seen a bobcat. At least until now. Maybe that’s why he’s seeing fewer rabbits.

Free, who has lived on Renton Hill for 33 years with his wife Lonnie, saw a big cat walking across his neighbor’s yard about two weeks ago. He lives on High Avenue, not far from the power lines that tower over blackberries, trees and underbrush – all perfect hiding places for skittish animals.

“I thought it looked awfully big for a house cat,” he said.

He estimates the animal is about 18 inches at the shoulders, about the size of a medium-sized dog. That would put it at 30 or 40 pounds, but Free said he’s “just guessing.”

He didn’t see the animal for another week, until it walked down the sidewalk in front of a neighbor’s house. They commiserated about exactly what they saw.

The neighbor wasn’t sure.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t have a tail,” the neighbor replied.

Another neighbor expressed her concern for her house cats; but so far Free has not heard any reports of missing pets.

Free hasn’t reported his sightings to anyone official, such as animal control.

Then on Thursday Free shot video of the animal, a bit blurry because his hands were shaking. He made still photographs from the video and shared those with the Renton Reporter.

Free went to the Internet to find out what exactly he saw. From his research, he thinks the animal is a bobcat, the smallest of the lynx family.

They like to eat rabbits, which is an important piece of information.

“I haven’t seen any rabbits for quite a while,” he said. “They are either gone or in hiding.”