Toddler comes face to face with bobcat at San Bernardino home

A toddler and a wild bobcat came face to face through a sliding glass door at a family home in San Bernardino's Upper Waterman Canyon on Wednesday, with the close-range encounter recorded on video, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The incident highlights the growing friction between wildlife and residential communities across Southern California's foothill neighborhoods, where areas like Upper Waterman Canyon sit at the edge of natural bobcat territory.

The encounter happened at a home in Upper Waterman Canyon, a small neighborhood off Highway 18 in San Bernardino, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. At the time, the toddler was inside the residence and separated from the animal by the sliding glass door throughout the incident. No injuries were reported.

Video captured by the family shows the bobcat approaching the door and remaining close to the glass — behavior that wildlife experts consider a departure from the species' typical wariness around humans, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. The animal did not attempt to enter the home.

Bobcats are generally secretive and avoid contact with people, making this degree of proximity to an occupied residence unusual, ABC7 Los Angeles noted. The circumstances of why this particular animal approached the house were not immediately clear.

Upper Waterman Canyon's position adjacent to open foothill terrain makes it a natural corridor for native wildlife, including bobcats, coyotes, and deer. San Bernardino County authorities had not issued any public warning related to the incident as of Wednesday, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

San Bernardino County authorities have not announced any action taken against the animal following the encounter, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. Residents in foothill communities are generally advised to secure food sources and supervise small children and pets outdoors to reduce wildlife conflicts.